Months after minimum wage enforcement, many still not getting it - PSM

Five months after the enforcement of the RM1,500 minimum wage increase, it is yet to be implemented in many places, including at ministerial buildings in Putrajaya, PSM lamented.

In a statement today, the party's Dengkil branch chairperson Darren Ong Chung Lee said the findings were based on a spot-check conducted by PSM, together with the Government Contract Workers Network (JPKK) at about 20 schools and government buildings in Putrajaya earlier this month.

"We wanted to see if contract workers employed at ministerial buildings and government schools in Putrajaya and the surrounding areas were paid the minimum wage. According to the Minimum Wages Order 2022, effective May 1, the minimum wage in Malaysia is RM1,500 per month.

"Yet in October, five months after this minimum wage increase, we found that contract workers like cleaners and security guards were still being paid less than the amount," Ong said.

The team also found that there were workers at the Civil Aviation Authority, Immigration Department, and Perbadanan Putrajaya who were paid less than RM1,500 a month.

"About half (of the workers surveyed) said they were not receiving minimum wage. Most of them were Malaysian citizens, mostly Malays or Indians.

"Despite working in government buildings, these workers were not civil servants," Ong said, adding that the workers were employed by private corporations that had won cleaning or security contracts from the government.

Powerless to voice out

Ong pointed out that although many of these workers were aware that they were entitled to the minimum wage increase from May, they were powerless to bring the issue up to their employers due to fear of retaliation.

To make things worse, the violations were happening in the same neighbourhood where the Labour Department is situated in Putrajaya, he said.

"It is hard to imagine surviving on RM1,500 per month in the Klang Valley, and these people are paid even less than that!

"The government and the Labour Department need to prioritise the welfare of these contract workers over the profits of their well-connected employers and insist that all workers be paid at least the minimum wage rate."

Ong further implored Malaysians to pay attention to the plight of these poor workers, by supporting, donating or volunteering for labour unions and activist groups like the JPKK.

"Election season is coming when many candidates will try to convince you that they put the rakyat first. Make sure to ask them what they will do to alleviate the plight of our exploited contract workers."

Yeoh urges govt to cushion impact of impending new employment laws

MP SPEAKS | Poverty, corruption still major issues after 65 years of Merdeka

Gardenia raising prices due to new minimum wage, floods, supply issues

MTUC threatens action if cleaners, guards not paid minimum wage

New 45-hour work week, including mealtimes, pushed to Jan 1

Many govt contractors not paying minimum wage - groups