Letter to editor
PARTI Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) urges the Madani government to ensure the welfare of around 200,000 cleaners, security guards and gardeners in government schools, hospitals, health and education institutions by granting them the same minimum wage as the lowest paid public servant which is RM2,000.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had on May 1 said the total income for civil servants in the lowest salary scale would be raised to a minimum of RM2,000/month from the previous level of RM1,795/month.
These cleaners and security guards who worked in government premises had their rights robbed from them when the government pursued the privatisation policy in 1996 and 1997 under the premiership of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and when Anwar himself helmed the Finance Ministry.
There is close to 100,000 B40 contract workers working in the 160 government hospitals. Similarly, there are 42,693 security guards working in 10,961 government premises and another 45,411 cleaners working in education-related premises, including mostly government schools and institutions.
Errant gov’t-appointed contractors
Together there are around 200,000 contract workers in schools and government hospitals who serve as security guards or cleaners.
This essential workforce who keeps our hospitals and schools clean and safe have been denied a decent minimum wage. They do not have job security and are denied all and any perks enjoyed by government servants even though the nature of their jobs are also permanent.
In August 2024, PKR remaining reformist MP Hassan Karim urged the Human Resource Minister not to neglect the welfare of these contract workers which he said have been exploited by the government-appointed contractors.
Another routine which happens every time the minimum wage is increased is that these workers will not get paid the government minimum wage as the contractors will use the excuse that the government has yet to pay them.
As such, they will most likely get their minimum wages much later after the Finance Ministry injects the sum or some will even end up denied these minimum wages.
PSM and Jaringan Pekerja Kontrak Kerajaan (JPKK) have been fighting for the government to absolve these workers as government workers. Even if that is not possible for now, the HR Minister can actually ask the government to pay these workers the same minimum wage as government workers since the government is the paymaster. – Oct 23, 2024
S. Arutchelvan is the Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) deputy chairman.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Images credit: Utusan Malaysia
