Government committed to implement RM1,500 minimum wage

KUALA LUMPUR: The government is committed to raise the minimum wage from RM1,050 as announced by the Prime Minister's Office yesterday to RM1,500, in line with the promise made in the Pakatan Harapan (PH) election manifesto, says Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Amiruddin Hamzah.
He said the government had between four and five years to fulfil the promise.
"From 2019, we have another four years of 2020, 2021 and 2022, until the fifth year and we will strive so that our minimum wage can be raised from time to time.
"Previously, the PH manifesto has set a minimum wage of RM1,500 for the Peninsular, Sabah and Sarawak, which was our view before we formed the government, with the limited data available to us then (when drafting the manifesto)," he told reporters at the lobby of the Parliament today.
The Prime Minister's Office in a statement yesterday announced the implementation of a standardised minimum wage nationwide at RM1,050 a month or RM5.05 per hour from Jan 1, next year.
The decision was made after considering the recommendations from the National Wages Consultative Council (MPGN) on the review of the Minimum Wages Order 2016.
Commenting on claims that some of quarters were disappointed with the announcement because it was not as promised in the PH manifesto, Amiruddin hoped that it would not last long as it still provided some relief in the job market.
Meanwhile, Women, Family and Community Development Deputy Minister Hannah Yeoh said her ministry would seek feedback from the Persatuan Pengasuh Berdaftar Malaysia (PPBM) to see the impact of the minimum wage implementation on the caregiver industry.
While acknowledging the implementation of the new minimum wage policy may have implications for the operations of care centres, Yeoh said the ministry was willing to listen to the association's views and would discuss it at the Cabinet level. — Bernama