Wages should be able to cover the cost of living, or the government may face a public uprising, contended NGO coalition Pertubuhan Rapat Malaysia (Rapat).

It said this when commenting on the agreement to allow Bangladeshi workers to enter Malaysia.

There are 1.5 million workers on the Bangladeshi government recruitment database now able to apply for jobs in Malaysia.

"We want the government to review wages paid. Youths are not too lazy to work but the wages do not commensurate, especially now when they are also burdened by student loans.

"If the government still wants to bring in these foreign workers, we will have to hold a demonstration," Rapat's spokesperson S Bharathidasan said when contacted today.

The government has been forced to defend the decision to open up Malaysian borders to more Bangladeshi workers.

Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had challenged Malaysian youths to do the jobs foreign workers do, if they do not want more foreigners in the job market.

Bharathidasan said Malaysians are willing to do the jobs Zahid referred to, and this is evident in the number of Malaysians crossing the border to do blue collar jobs in Singapore.

They are willing to work as labourers because the wages are worthwhile, he said, adding that it showed rakyat are not lazy.

Others at the Rapat press conference included the Progressive Indian Association (Mipas) and Malaysian Trade Union Congress (MTUC).

Earlier, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Razali Ahmad said raising the minimum wage will put inflationary pressures on the economy.

Razali said the government's research found Malaysians require wages that employers are unwilling to pay.

Employers also prefer to hire foreign workers because they will not be mandated to contribute to the Employee Provident Fund (EPF).