Dr Subra: Special meeting to discuss minimum wage policy next month

SEGAMAT: MIC deputy president Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam said a special meeting will be held next month to look into matters related to the minimum wage policy.

He said the special lab coordinated by Pemandu will involve the government and all the stakeholders affected by the issue.

"The stakeholders who will be invited for this lab include those from the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME), the manufacturing and agricultural sector, petrol station associations and related agencies," said Dr Subra, the Human Resources Minister before parliament dissolved.

He hoped the outcome of the lab's study and discussion would help the government resolve the issue once and for all.

At present, the minimum wage under the policy is set at RM900 but many small and medium businesses complained that, if it was implemented, they would face much difficulty keeping their businesses afloat.

Taking into account the many sectors' inability to pay a minimum wage of RM900 to its employees, which also included foreigners, the government had decided to postpone its implementation until end of the year.

He said the aim was to improve the income of the Malaysians who fall under the low-income category. But at the same time, be careful not to create a situation where employers preferred to employ foreigners because they were cheaper.

"If that situation happens, then many Malaysians would be unemployed," he said.

He said this when met by reporters after handing out certificates and cash awards to over 50 students from Segamat who excelled in their 2012 SPM and STPM examinations at the Kampung Kenangan multi purpose hall in Batu Anam, Segamat on Thursday.

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Bosses should be able to cope, says Harris

Published on: Friday, January 04, 2013

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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Minimum wage: K'gau bosses told to write in

Published on: Sunday, December 16, 2012

Keningau: Shop owners and businessmen in the district who cannot afford to pay the minimum wage of RM800 are advised to write in to the Government.

Rural Development Assistant Minister Datuk Sairin Karno, who is also Liawan Assemblyman, said this in response to several complaints from business operators that they could not afford to pay the minimum wage during the launching of the Industrial Agriculture Carnival here.

In his speech, he hoped the industry would enhance the agriculture production for the international market and eventually boost economic growth as well as make Sabah a developed state by 2020.

He, therefore, hoped the people realise the benefit given by the Barisan Nasional Government in providing assistance to the people to develop their economy, adding that the opposition cannot make improvements with just promises.

Source : Daily Express

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Set minimum wage at RM900 for Sabah, S’wak: NGO

 PETALING JAYA (Sept 17, 2012): The RM900 minimum wage set by the government for Peninsular Malaysia should also be set for Sabah and Sarawak, said non-governmental organisation (NGO) Oppressed People Network (Jerit).
"What is the rationale of providing a minimum wage below the poverty line in east Malaysia? The cost of living in east Malaysia is 30-40% higher than in Peninsular Malaysia," said Jerit.
The NGO also called for wealth redistribution to reduce the income disparity in Sabah and Sarawak, noting that they are rich with natural resources.
"Both Sabah and Sarawak have plenty of resources from timber and oil and also have wealth from the plantation industry. But both states remain among the poorest in Malaysia," it said in its statement in conjunction with Malaysia Day last Sunday.
Jerit pointed out that native land protection has been a problem for the indigenous peoples of Sabah and Sarawak.
"They are struggling to get the states to give due recognition to their customary land rights. There are many incidents where indigenous people have been forcefully removed from their customary land in the name of development."
The NGO also called for the lifting of the ban on activists seeking entry to Sabah and Sarawak.
"If the government really appreciates the integration of society between Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia, do not discriminate the people who have been critical of the state governments or of those who merely want to help to empower the marginalised people in the two states," the statement said.


http://www.thesundaily.my/news/492590

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Minimum wage to be implemented once gazetted, says Jainab

18th July, 2012

KOTA KINABALU: The government has prepared an implementing mechanism to ensure the minimum wage set for the private sector does not unnecessarily burden employers or incur loss for employees.

Assistant Minister of Resource Development and Information Technology, Datuk Jainab Ahmad said the mechanism would, among other things, allow allowances or regular cash payments in the calculation of a minimum wage.

Further, the date of implementation for the minimum wage is six months after the order is issued.

“However, to make way for small-time employers to be fully prepared so their business won’t be jeopardised, the date of implementation for this category of employers is 12 months from the date of order when the minimum wage is gazetted,” she said.

Jainab was replying to Luyang assemblywoman, Melanie Chia, at the assembly yesterday.


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18th July, 2012
KOTA KINABALU: The government has prepared an implementing mechanism to ensure the minimum wage set for the private sector does not unnecessarily burden employers or incur loss for employees.
Assistant Minister of Resource Development and Information Technology, Datuk Jainab Ahmad said the mechanism would, among other things, allow allowances or regular cash payments in the calculation of a minimum wage.
Further, the date of implementation for the minimum wage is six months after the order is issued.
“However, to make way for small-time employers to be fully prepared so their business won’t be jeopardised, the date of implementation for this category of employers is 12 months from the date of order when the minimum wage is gazetted,” she said.
Jainab was replying to Luyang assemblywoman, Melanie Chia, at the assembly yesterday.

18th July, 2012
KOTA KINABALU: The government has prepared an implementing mechanism to ensure the minimum wage set for the private sector does not unnecessarily burden employers or incur loss for employees.
Assistant Minister of Resource Development and Information Technology, Datuk Jainab Ahmad said the mechanism would, among other things, allow allowances or regular cash payments in the calculation of a minimum wage.
Further, the date of implementation for the minimum wage is six months after the order is issued.
“However, to make way for small-time employers to be fully prepared so their business won’t be jeopardised, the date of implementation for this category of employers is 12 months from the date of order when the minimum wage is gazetted,” she said.
Jainab was replying to Luyang assemblywoman, Melanie Chia, at the assembly yesterday.

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Minimum wage not linked to elections

18th May, 2012

KOTA KINABALU: The implementation of the minimum wage for workers is not linked with the coming general election. Human Resource Minister Datuk Seri Dr. S. Subramaniam said this in response to question from reporters after launching a dialogue on minimum wage with employers and employees from the various sectors at a leading hotel here yesterday. “It has nothing to do with the coming general election, whereby, minimum wage was being implemented for the welfare of workers and provide sufficient social protection to employees in Sabah in particular and the nation’s interest in general,” said the minister. He said based on studies there has been an increase in productivity in all sectors since 2004 and the government took initiative to implement the minimum wage for the benefit of workers and employers in the country. To a question, Subramaniam said the minimum wage’s objective is to help low income earners and the wage structure is expected to be implemented in January next year.

He said a small and medium enterprise (SME) with five workers or less is given 12 months timeframe to implement the wage structure. “However, professional firms such as legal, architectural, and consultancy firms, medical and dental clinics are not exempted in the 12-month period, these professional firms are required to implement minimum wage within six-month after implementation” said Suibramaniam.

The minimum wage covers local and foreign employees from all categories except for domestic helpers, gardener and others in similar sectors. He said the minimum wage was aimed to encourage industry to move up by investing in higher technology and to increase labour productivity as well as reducing the country’s dependence on unskilled foreign workers. The government has set RM800 minimum wage a month for Sabah and Sarawak and RM900 for workers in Peninsula. Subramaniam said the difference in minimum wage for Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsula was determined by NWCC after careful study of skill levels in the services and hospitality sectors in all three regions. He said in Sabah, the majority of workers are in agricultural and unskilled sectors. “The implementation of minimum wage is also aimed to achieve the nation’s vision as one of high income nation in Asia in 20202,” he added. Subramanian said employers failing to heed minimum wage implementation by the government would be penalized with fine and jail term under the Minimum Wage Act. Among those present were Minister of Resource & Information Technology Development, Datuk Yee Moh Chai and his assistant Dtk Jainab Ahmad, president of Federation of Sabah Manufacturers (FSM), Datuk Seri Panglima Wong Khen Thau, Malaysian Institute of Economic Research, Prof. Dr. Zakariah Abdul Rashid, and Sabah Labour department director Datuk Siti Aishah Mohd Asri.

http://www.newsabahtimes.com

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