KUALA LUMPUR, March 22 — Bangi MP Ong Kian Ming today urged the government to be more comprehensive in its approach to introducing the upcoming minimum monthly wage of RM1,500, so that smaller firms are not unduly burdened by the jump.
“But for the rural areas in Pahang, Kelantan and Terengganu in Peninsular Malaysia and in Sabah and Sarawak, many of the smaller firms probably cannot cope as well with the sudden increase in the minimum wage from RM1,100 to RM1,500. He also proposed that the government allow Malaysian companies to hire foreign workers — to the benefit of the industries such as manufacturing and palm oil that are reeling from a lack of workers — but using a transparent and open “levy system”.
“Such a policy will also allow the government to earn some much-needed revenue from employers,” he said.