Hindrafs’ 16th point Demand (dated 12/7/10) – Minimum wage of RM 1,000 and now revised to RM 1,500 per month to be made law?
UMNO Prime Minister Najib Razak has assured Malaysians that he would focus on those earning less than RM1,500 per month and that the per capita income of an average Malaysian is RM 1,916 per month (RM 23,000 per year) (UM 6/4/2010 at page 11).
He further states that the “New Economic Model (NEM) is for all Malaysians (The Star 7th April 2010). The Berita Harian on 7/4/2010 at page 16 in their analytical newsreport stated that the minimum wage would increase productivity.
We are about 100 years behind time when compared to Australia and New Zealand which had implemented the minimum wage in the 1900s. The minimum wages exists in almost 90% of the countries in the world. Even in a third world country like Sri Lanka this minimum wage has already been implemented.
However Berita Harian had reported that in line with the NEM the government through the manpower Ministry is drafting out a National Minimum Wage Policy and the strategy for it’s realization. But no time frame has been targeted.
Even going by Hindraf’s 16th point in it’s 18 Point Demands to the then Prime Minister Badawi on 12/7/2007 at Putrajaya, we had demanded for a minimum wage of RM 1,000 per month.
It is almost coming to three years now but it is regretted that this matter is still on the drafting stage. This only reflects and displays a lack of political will on the part of the Prime Minister, as well as vision on the part of the previous Badawi administration, vis a vis his aforesaid political statements, but something that was keenly observed and demanded by Hindraf.
It would make that difference if and only if the Prime Minister has the political will and makes a commitment of capping the minimum wage to at least RM 1,500 which is also our revised minimum wage proposal within sixty days from the date hereof.
P. Uthayakumar
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