KUCHING: The country’s minimum wage rate will remain unchanged for now, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
He assured that the government would continue to review the matter, pointing out that all relevant parties needed to be consulted before the government can implement a new policy. An announcement on the new rate would only be made come the right time.
“We have only implemented the minimum wage policy for about a year and five months. There are proposals to raise the minimum wage but this cannot be done every year. In fact, there’s no country which increases the minimum wage every year.
“This has to be done from time to time only after the government has discussed the matter. Unfortunately today is not the time for me to announce the new minimum wage rate,” announced Najib who is also Finance Minister when officiating at the national-level Workers Day celebration at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching today.
The minimum wage policy in Malaysia was introduced on Jan 1, 2013 but full implementation of the policy began in January last year. At present, the minimum wage rate in the peninsula was set at RM900 per month and RM800 for Sabah and Sarawak.
Under the Minimum Wage Order 2012, the minimum wage must be reviewed once in two years.