KUALA LUMPUR: A review of the minimum wage has been completed, with the results set to be tabled at the National Wages Consultative Council (NWCC) this month.
Human Resources Minister Steven Sim said a tripartite meeting involving the government, employers representatives and employees would also be held to discuss the findings.
He said a final decision would be made after assessing recommendations from the council as well as taking in the views of both employers and workers.
"The government will adopt a rational approach and review all data before making any decision. Setting the minimum wage would provide a win-win situation for all parties," he said.
Sim was speaking to reporters after attending a town hall session for the Progressive Wage Policy (PWP) pilot project, held in collaboration with the Economy Ministry, at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre here today, which was attended by around 1,500 people.
The participants comprised employer representatives, labour union representatives as well as representatives from various economic sectors, including universities, NGOs, and others.
Sim said the pilot project is expected to run for at least a year.
He said so far, 500 companies have registered for the pilot project. The government had targeted the involvement of 1,000 companies in sectors such as manufacturing, wholesale, retail, vehicle repair, information and communications, and others.
The pilot project is being conducted ahead of the full implementation of the Progressive Wage Policy, which aims to raise wages and achieve a more balanced income distribution.
In January, Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli said he would initiate the process of formulating policies for the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) this year, with the PWP being one of the components in the five-year plan.
Sim, on March 14, said the government will review the minimum wage this year, taking into account the employer and employees view.
The last time the government reviewed the minimum wage was in May 2022, increasing it from RM1,200 to RM1,500.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) also suggested the government increase the minimum wage from RM1,500 to RM2,102 considering the cost of living, poverty line income and productivity.
In response, Rafizi said Unicef's proposal will be studied carefully as the process is ongoing and that the Human Resources Ministry would bring it to the government's consideration.