PETALING JAYA | A minimum wage of “around RM1,500 a month” is expected to be implemented before the end of this year, said human resources minister M Saravanan.
He said the new rate had yet to be finalised as the ministry was awaiting Cabinet approval.
“I cannot state the exact minimum wage rate proposed by the human resources ministry but it is around RM1,500 and below,” he said, according to Berita Harian.
He said the new minimum wage needed to be resolved as soon as possible and that the ministry was pushing for it to be implemented by the end of the year, but it still depended on the Cabinet’s decision.
The figure would be announced after Cabinet approval.
“I feel that the existing minimum wage should be raised even though some private (sector) employees are paid more than that but in the government it remains low,” he said.
The minimum wage was last increased in February 2020, from RM1,100 to RM1,200 per month.
Saravanan added that although the government had not raised the minimum wage for several years, some employers, especially in the private sector, had taken the initiative to provide higher rates.
“In fact, some give not only the minimum wage but also other benefits such as accommodation and better welfare,” he said.
