KUALA LUMPUR: Ismail Sabri Yaakob (BN-Bera) has called on the government to immediately implement the RM1,500 minimum wage hike for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with fewer than five employees.
SMEs with fewer than five employees had been given a deferment on the implementation of the new minimum wage until July 1.
The former prime minister said there should be no deferments as a long delay would affect many workers from the B40 and M40 groups.
“Therefore, I ask the government to implement the minimum wage immediately with no more deferments,” he said when debating the 2023 Supply Bill in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Ismail said there were many companies that were not adhering to the new minimum wage, which took effect on May 1 last year. He lamented the lack of enforcement by the human resources ministry.
He also said the Malaysian Trades Union Congress had highlighted that there were janitors, gardeners and security guards hired by government contractors who had yet to be paid the new minimum wage.
“These contractors are giving excuses that the government has yet to amend the quotation in their tender documents. I hope the government will take immediate action instead of making excuses,” he said.
He said the RM1,500 minimum wage was not a huge jump from the RM1,200 previously, pointing out that it was still under the poverty line of RM 2,208.
He also asked Putrajaya to provide a detailed explanation of its plan to provide targeted subsidies, since this was mooted years ago by the then Pakatan Harapan government.
Source: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2023/03/07/implement-rm1500-minimum-wage-for-all-smes-now-says-ismail/