Thursday October 14, 2010
Minimum wage law a boon for five million
By A. LETCHUMANAN
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KUALA LUMPUR: Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam said the Minimum Wage Bill to be tabled in Parliament next March will benefit some five million workers. “The bill will be discussed in the Cabinet this Friday,” he said. Speaking to reporters after opening a minimum wage forum organised by Barisan Nasional Youth, he said a minimum wage determination requires a balancing of public interest against the impact it will have on foreign investment,
“I have stressed that it is not an emotional and political matter. “We are looking at all aspects of the issue and whatever decision taken will be in the long-term interest of workers,” said Dr Subramaniam. He said the Government wanted a suitable wage for workers but “we do not want it to affect the country’s ability to attract foreign investors.”
Dr Subramaniam said the Government had been slow in implementing a minimum wage because it feared that the policy could affect the country’s economic competitiveness. “It cannot be denied that labour intensive industries have contributed to our economic growth and provided employment to a lot of people.
“It also allows more people in the family to get an income and increase the standard of living in the country,” he said. BN Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin said the Government had a moral obligation to give Malaysian workers their rights. “We want all workers to enjoy the benefits of a higher-income economy,” he said.
