No review of minimum wage

PETALING JAYA (Jan 23, 2014): Putrajaya will not review the minimum wage as it was only just fully implemented this month.
Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Richard Riot Jaem said the minimum wage of RM900 for workers in the peninsula and RM800 in Sabah and Sarawak had just been implemented, The Malaysian Insider reported.
"It is too early for us to review the minimum wage policy as we must also consider the interests of employers as well," he said today.
"It is unfair for employers to have to pay more for the same amount of productivity from their workers," he added.
He said the ministry would conduct a mid-year review on the policy to study its impact on the market after six months and take it from there.
The minister said his ministry would also introduce programmes for workers to improve their knowledge and skills.
Cuepacs had suggested on Jan 3 that the government raise the minimum wage for civil servants to RM1,200 before the implementation of the goods and services tax in 2015.
Its president Azih Muda said the new minimum wage would help civil servants offset their expenditures because of the rising cost of living.
Riot said the ministry's position on the minimum wage is that it must be a win-win situation for employers and employees.