Today we celebrate International Labour Day. I would like to wish every Malaysian worker “Selamat Hari Pekerja”. Worker rights continues to be an importang agenda of the Klang MP Office. Without proper protection, workers are often denied their rights, and this is the same with Malaysia.
As an MP, I have always believed in not only a minimum wage, but a fair living wage. The difference between the two, is that a minimum wage is a set figure for a country or state, but a living wage takes into account geographic and local economic factors, to enable a worker and his or her family to meet their minimum requirements for a dignified life.
In 2011, I organized a roundtable discussion with trade activists and unionists along with political and social activists to discuss the minimum wage debate going on with the Government then.
This idea was later supported by Bank Negara, who in their 2017 report, proposed a similar idea, around the figure of RM 2,700. The same report suggested the amount of RM 6,500 for a married couple with two children, in Kuala Lumpur.
The Barisan Nasional manifesto proposes to raise the salary in phases, to RM 1,500 over five years, where else Pakatan Harapan promises to raise this immediately, and further work towards attaining a fair living wage for all Malaysian workers.
Another reason of low wages, is the over reliance on cheap foreign labour, that depresses salaries. This is another area that will be studied, and reduced, under a Pakatan government, to ensure fair wages for both the Malaysian employee and that the foreign worker is not mistreated.
All these steps, along with other efforts to help alleviate cost of living issues, like the removal of GST and training programs aimed at the B40, will help uplift the Malaysian worker and return our local talent to us. There is over 500,000 Malaysians working in Singapore, some estimate 10% of them without proper permits, and 5,000 Malaysians working in South Korea illegally.
Pakatan Harapan also proposes to implement EPF for all housewives, at 2% contributions by working husbands, and RM 50 by the PH Government.
Pakatan Harapan also pledges to create 1 million jobs, with a minimum pay of RM 2,500. 20% of these jobs will be for Sabah/Sarawak.