Malaysian Trade Union
Congress (MTUC) is disappointed that Malaysia will still not increase the
Minimum Wage now in May 2015, noting that cost of living over last years have
increased drastically by, amongst other reasons, the removal of subsidies and
the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax(GST).
It was reported that Prime
Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at the at the government’s Labour Day
celebrations at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching on 1/5/2015 ‘said minimum
wage could not be increased now’ (Star, 2/5/2015, 11MP to focus on human resources development, says PM). This is
unacceptable because it is unjust that workers in Malaysia are required to
enjoy same rate of Minimum Wages for more than 2 years and 4 months
National Wage Consultation Council Act 2011 in Section 25(1) clearly
state that, “The Council shall, at least once in every two years, review the
Minimum Wages Order”, and this certainly includes the Minimum Wage Rates. Two
years is the statutory maximum period before which Minimum Wage rates should be
increased, and the law is clear that Minimum Wages could be reviewed and
increased even at a faster rate depending the effectiveness of current rates
having due regard to also the socio-economic reality of workers and their
families. Clearly, the cost of living has escalated since the last Minimum Wage
Order in 2012 was made, and this should have reasonably led to increases in the
Minimum Wage rates.
It must be pointed out that the last Minimum Wages Order 2012(P.U. (A)
214) was made on 16 July 2012, and since then it has been almost 2 years and 10
months – as such the next Minimum Wage Order which really should have been
made on or before 16th July 2014 is long overdue. Workers in
Malaysia should have been enjoying higher Minimum Wage Rates at the very least
since the beginning of the year – 1st January 2015.
MTUC notes that the Malaysian government has effectively denied many
workers the full enjoyment of their right to Minimum Wages as of 1st
January 2013 by reason of the various exemptions provided to certain employers
or classes of employers. MTUC also reiterates its protest on that discriminatory
nature of Minimum Wages (Amendment) Order 2013 which created a situation where
migrant workers in certain workplaces were denied Minimum Wages for a certain
period when their fellow local workers already enjoyed this right to Minimum
Wages.
Prime Minister Datuk
Seri Najib Tun Razak was clearly wrong when he said that, ‘We have only
implemented the minimum wage policy for about a year and five months…’
(Malaysian Digest, 3/5/2015, ‘Too soon
to review minimum wage’ – Najib), because the relevant Minimum Wage Order was made
in July 2012, whereby workers in Malaysia started enjoying minimum wages on 1
January 2013 – and it has been more than
2 years and 4 months since workers started enjoying a Minimum Wage
of RM900 (Peninsular Malaysia) and RM800 (for Sabah and Sarawak). MTUC was also
unhappy about this discrimination against workers in Sabah and Sarawak,
considering also that the cost of living in East Malaysia is higher than in
Peninsular Malaysia, a fact that is also reflected in the official poverty line
income.
MTUC calls on the Malaysian government to immediately increase Minimum
Wage rates to at least RM1,200, and this entitlement should be made effective
as of 1st January 2015. Employers should be compelled to immediately
pay all monies due to the worker by reason of the increased Minimum Wage from
the beginning of the year until the relevant date. There should be no exemption
for any employer, and all workers, including migrant workers, in Malaysia
should be treated equally without discrimination.
N. Gopal Kishnam
Secretary
General
Tel: + 6 019 317 4717
Email:-gopalkishnam@gmail.com
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