Raduan (third left) and other officials from the Sarawak Department of Labour showing the Federal Government Gazette which contain details of the Minimum Wages Order 2020 to reporters the department’s office today.
KUCHING: The Sarawak Labour Department has opened 101 investigation papers from 2015 until December last year on employers who have failed to comply with the minimum wage policy, said its director Awang Raduan Awang Omar.
He told reporters here today that out of that number, 29 cases have been brought to court resulting in 24 being convicted, 38 cases were resolved and 34 are still under investigation.
Awang Raduan added that RM194,203.57 in fines have been issued to errant employers.
With the nation now implementing the Minimum Wages Order 2020, he said employers who fail to comply are liable to be fined not more than RM10,000 per worker.
Apart from that, he said the court may order the employer to pay the difference between the minimum wage and the principal payable by the employer to the employee and any other costs accrued from the calculation of the salary based on the minimum wage.
“The minimum wage referred to in the Minimum Wages Order 2020 is the principal wage paid by the employer to the employee without including any other cash payment paid by the employer to the employee for the work performed under the service contract,” said Awang Raduan.
Hence, he urged all employers to take note of and comply with the Minimum Wage Order 2020.
The government has raised the minimum wage to RM1,200 in 56 major cities and towns beginning this month while the minimum wage remains at RM1,100 a month for the rest of the country.
The cities in Sarawak listed are Kuching North, Kuching South, Miri, Padawan, Sibu, Kota Samarahan and Bintulu.