KUALA LUMPUR: Human Resources Ministry will present and review the minimum wage issue in the cabinet next week.
Its Minister M Kulasegaran said the issue had to be discussed first with other cabinet ministers.
“I will bring up the issue of the RM1,050 minimum wage in the next parliament sitting which is next week.
“The ministry needs to get views from other cabinet ministers on the matter as well. Among the factors that determine the minimum wage of RM1,050 are the current state of economy and the huge amount of (national) debts,” he told the members of the media after meeting with the workers associations and non-governmental organisations.
Earlier today, more than 100 workers from Malaysia Trades Union Congress (MTUC), Malaysian Socialist Party (PSM), Friends of Women Selangor Organisation and a few other non-governmental organisations (NGOs) held a gathering outside the Parliament building to call for a review of the minimum monthly wage.
Kulasegaran then went to meet the group and invited 20 representatives from each party for a meeting inside the parliament complex.
The meeting lasted for about an hour. After the meeting, a memorandum was handed over to Kulasegaran by MTUC secretary general J Solomon.
The minimum monthly wage is expected to come into effect on Jan 1 next year.
Meanwhile, Solomon said the enthusiasm shown by the Human Resources Ministry to bring up the issue to the cabinet immediately is hoped to be a sign of good things.
“If the government is unable to accommodate to the recommendations set out by the technical committee, we hope they can call the stakeholders so that we can negotiate on the matter further.
“I think that would be a better way to resolve the matter.
“We were previously not involved in any engagement initiatives with the ministry or the government on this matter. We came here so that we could hand over the memorandum to the Minister himself,” he said.