IT is the moral responsibility of all employers to provide a proper minimum wage to their workers, said UMNO president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
“If we keep waiting, there will never be a ‘good time’ for employers to raise the minimum wage.
“In my view, this is not only about social responsibility but also a moral one to help the working class and the society as a whole,” he said in a Facebook post.
Last week, the Human Resources Ministry announced that it would be raising the minimum wage to RM1,500 by end of the year.
However, the announcement was opposed by the Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF), which stated that now is not the right time to increase the cost of doing business and the proposal would derail economic recovery.
“More efforts should be directed towards business recovery in the private sector and controlling the rising cost of products and services. We must remember that most Malaysian businesses are micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), whereby 98.9% are in this group.
“So, when we talk about wages and cost, we must think of their survival and sustainability,” its president Datuk Syed Hussain Syed Husman was reported as saying.
However, Syed Hussain received brickbats from several quarters, with Parti Sosialis Malaysia (SPM) accusing the group of opposing the minimum wage programme from the get-go.
It will help businesses anyway
Touching on the matter, Zahid said that while he respected MEF’s views, he urged the latter to look at the matter in a broader context on how it would help the Malaysian economy.
Firstly, the former deputy prime minister stated, was that it would increase the purchasing power of the masses, especially among the B40, so that they can live a better life.
“The extra money will then be spent in the economy and increase liquidity in the markets, which will help businesses grow.
“With low salaries, the people will spend lesser and affect economic activities. Plus, higher wages will also help workers to manage their daily expenditures better,” Zahid quipped.
Acknowledging it may affect employers temporarily, the Bagan Datuk MP stressed it would be difficult to get all employers’ approval before hiking up the minimum wage.
“It’s high time for us to incorporate values of humanistic economics in businesses and throw away exploitative measures.
“And I hope MEF and all employers will study this matter thoroughly and empathise with the workers’ plight. Please value their contribution.” – Feb 8, 2022
