MAHASISWA Keadilan Malaysia PKR student wing vice-chief Yap Xiang who resigned after the Dewan Rakyat passed controversial amendments to the constitution’s citizenship provisions now says the minimum wage in Semporna, Sabah, is RM500, which he said is a reality still happening in 2024.
I’ve sent in my resignation letter just now
— yapxiang #EndStatelessness 🍉 (@yapxiang) October 17, 2024
On Friday (Oct 18), Yap criticised the Home Ministry’s engagement sessions on the Citizenship Bill amendments, saying they merely met basic consultation requirements without addressing real concerns particularly about stateless Orang Asli and other marginalised groups.
Today, he posted on X exposing the minimum wage in Semporna, adding that “Stateless persons, who can’t work legally thus have to work as undocumented labour, are being paid RM500 a month as a waiter.
“Stateless children, who should be in school but were denied by the government, are being paid RM10 a day as domestic helpers.
“And they have to pay RM100 for registration at the government hospital, even before meeting their doctors.”
Yap’s allegations come after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Friday announced the raising of the country’s minimum wage to RM1,700, up from the current RM1,500, in February next year.
Adjusting the minimum wage will help its people get more “meaningful” salaries that contribute to a more comfortable life, Anwar said.
For employers with fewer than five workers, the government will delay enforcement of the minimum wage by six months to August next year, he added.
On the other hand, the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2024, intended to grant citizenship to overseas-born children of Malaysian women, faced criticism for other provisions that could worsen statelessness issues especially in Sabah and Sarawak, affecting access to education, healthcare, and employment.
“You know sometimes it feels like statelessness is purposely not solved to provide capitalists a source of cheap labour (slave),” wrote Yap to stress why he is against the new Constitution (Amendment) Bill. – Oct 19, 2024
Do you know the real minimum wage in Semporna is RM500/month or RM10/day?
It’s 2024 now but this is still happening today.
Stateless persons, who can’t work legally thus have to work as an undocumented labor, is being paid RM500 a month as a waiter.
Stateless children, who… pic.twitter.com/I1QzOINUfJ
— yapxiang #EndStatelessness 🍉 (@yapxiang) October 19, 2024
