COMMENT | Why the cold shoulder on minimum wage?

COMMENT | I watched the live telecast of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's speech yesterday and PSM in spirit welcomed the government's move on the oil subsidy.

Our only concern is that the government must show how the money is used to help the B40 and M40.

While the PM bragged about increasing civil servant wages, what was disappointing was that he again refused to talk about the minimum wage and indicated as if it was entirely up to the private sector to increase the wages when in reality, it is the role of his government to review and announce the minimum wage.

Anwar spoke about his government’s seriousness of the progressive wage policy for the private sector. Yet that policy based on the government documents is voluntary, limited in scope and is just a pilot project for now.

Similarly, during his May 1 Labour Day speech attended by around 3,000 people at the government-sponsored air-conditioned PICC in Putrajaya, the most important announcement was that civil servants will enjoy a salary hike of more than 13 percent starting December, among the highest increase in the nation’s history.

He also said that the government will ensure the minimum income for civil servants exceeds RM2,000 per month. The follow-up announcement expressed his hope that private companies would emulate the government’s initiative in raising civil servants’ salaries.

While he emphasises the need for the private sector to increase wages, he forgets that the minimum wage increase is a cabinet decision and the powers are in his hands.

Never have the employers increased wages for the bottom-earning workers unless...