Kota Kinabalu: Former Chief Minister Tan Sri Harris Mohd Salleh said the minimum wage of RM800 as proposed by the Government for workers in Sabah must be implemented without any hesitation.
He said all parties involved, including the employers and employees, should give full cooperation to ensure that the policy is implemented accordingly.
He said the proposed minimum wage actually has been long overdue as far as Malaysia is concerned.
"The minimum wage will not bring so much impact on any business or plantation operations and the wage can be equated with productivity," he said in a statement.
Presently, he said, the employers prefer to employ more workers than necessary. Citing coffee shops, he said, an average of between six and eight workers are employed whereas in London or New York, with the same size of coffee shops, only two or three workers are employed to run the business daily.
"That means each worker will cover more tasks but with more pay.
"This approach does not only increase the efficiency and productivity of the workers but also gives some savings to the employer because there would be less being employed," he said.
Harris said it is high time that Malaysia with its 3.1 million foreign workers, both legal and illegal, reduce the number from two to one.
"Let's engage locals (to work) at petrol kiosks, restaurants and coffee shops, among others. With this minimum wage, it may attract more locals to replace the foreign workers," he said.
According to him, the minimum wage of RM800 is not prohibitive by any account. He said it is far less than what a family can live reasonably well on.
Explaining, he said, from the RM800, about RM500 will be spent in the canteens and kampung shops and the balance on other expenses.
Hence, no inflation would occur, he said.
The workers too, with the exception of a small number, would not purchase vehicles or houses with a value of more than RM300,000.
Therefore, Harris said, the minimum wage is in line with the world's progress and complies with the human right statute.
He said in Malaysia it is more than just to increase the basic needs of the people-workers or otherwise but more to achieve the development standards.
"Therefore, Malaysia must have a 100 per cent of its population, citizens or not, to have a fair living," he said.
With many companies in the country including plantations, earning from RM10 million to RM2 billion annually, he said, there is no reason why these companies could not part some of the profits and share them with their workers.
"After all, payments for the workers and others are tax deductible," he said.
A 15,000 acre plantation with 700 workers and earning about RM30 million annually, he said, could easily pay a few hundred ringgit more to all its workers.
He said it is either the company pays more tax or makes the workers happier.
Harris said those who oppose the Government's decision to set the minimum wage should know that the Federal Cabinet had taken all facts and figures and other considerations including inflation become arriving at the decision.
Source: Daily Express
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