Malaysia plans new wage scheme for low-income workers
The Malaysian government will introduce a new programme to raise wages for low-income workers as the Southeast Asian country is grappling with rising living costs and growing inequality.
Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli (Photo: thestar.com.my)
Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – The Malaysian government will introduce a newprogramme to raise wages for low-income workers as the Southeast Asian countryis grappling with rising living costs and growing inequality.
The Progressive Wage Policy, under whichemployers would gradually increase pay for their workers based on their skills,experience and performance, will start in June 2024 and involve 1,000 companiesin a pilot project.
Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli said that the Malaysian Government will spend 2billion RM (430 million USD) for the new policy, which is expected to benefit1.05 million workers.
Unveiling the plan last week, he told the parliament that Malaysia's salarystatistics showed 47% of the country's workers earned less than the povertyline of 2,589 RM (550 USD) a month in the first quarter of 2023.
He said low wages have seriousimplications for the livelihoods of workers in the country, with a majorportion of their salary spent on basic needs and little savings
The wage policy, which is targeted at the small and midsize businessesthat account for the vast majority of Malaysia's workforce, will be implementedin stages and is meant to complement the existing minimum wage policy.
Malaysia introduced the minimum wage in 2012and has since increased the floor on pay for workers in the lowest category.The current minimum wage is 1,500 RM per month. But Rafizi said the policy hasalso led to wage compression over the years, causing pay among skilled andsemi-skilled workers to stagnate.
The World Bank's Malaysia Economic Monitorreport in October pointed out that the wage gap between low-skill andhigh-skill workers has widened over time, rising 37.4% from a gap of 1,800 RM permonth in 2010 to 2,474 RM in 2021. Annual real wage growth in Malaysia between2011 and 2021 was 2.4%, compared with 3.1% in Thailand and 4.0% in Vietnam./.
The Vietnamese Party, State, Government and people highly value the stable, sustainable and long-term development of strategic partnership with Malaysia, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh told Malaysian Minister of Defence Dato’ Seri Utama Haji Mohamad Bin Haji Hasan during a reception in Hanoi on December 4.
Malaysian Home MIniser Saifuddin Nasution said on December 5 that Singaporeans travelling to Malaysia will not be required to fill up the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC), which will otherwise be compulsory from January 1 for foreign travellers.
Malaysia attracted 225 billion RM in approved investments in services, manufacturing and primary sectors from January to September, exceeding its annual target.
Malaysia is targeting tourist arrivals exceeding the pre-COVID-19 level in 2024 amid better flight connectivity and a higher number of potential visitors from China and India, according to deputy director-general in charge of tourism promotion Musa Yusof.
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto and EAEU Trade Minister Andrey Slepnev jointly declared the conclusion of FTA talks on the sidelines of the 28th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2025), according to the statement.
The article stressed that throughout his revolutionary career, the founder of modern Vietnam consistently regarded the revolutionary press as a vital part of the Vietnamese Party’s and nation’s revolutionary struggle.
Pichai said the trade talks with the US are important and need to move forward professionally, without regard for any political changes in Thailand, believing that Thailand has clear principles, guidelines and procedures in place.
The tax adjustment supports the Malaysian Government’s strategy to reduce reliance on foreign food supply chains and to assist domestic farmers, a finance official has said.
The proposed venue is located in the Chatuchak area of Bangkok, featuring eight public sites, including Krungthep Aphiwat Central Terminal and several nearby parks.
Connectivity is expected to improve further with the completion of the fifth Laos–Thailand Friendship Bridge by the end of 2025, facilitating logistics and agricultural exports to Vietnam, Thailand, and China.
Two naval gunboats intercepted a fishing vessel carrying 1.5 tonnes of methamphetamine hydrochloride off the coast of the main island of Luzon just before dawn, in a joint operation with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
In the today context of socio-economic development and growth, the professionalism of Vietnam’s revolutionary journalists continues to rise, guided by exemplary mastery of new information technologies and the modernisation of their founding principles to preserve the enduring values of revolutionary journalism.
Thai Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce Vuttikrai Leewiraphan Thailand's formal proposal will be substantial enough for the US to consider further detailed negotiations. He hoped for a tariff rate not exceeding 10% and suggested that the US might extend the negotiation period if an agreement is not reached by the July 8 deadline.
Organised by the Ministry of Culture and the Association of Thai Silk & Culture Promotions, the event honors Her Majesty the Queen on her 47th birthday anniversary and promotes Thai craftsmanship on an international stage.
Prensa Latina's recent article on Vietnam’s assurance of smooth and effective transition to a leaner structure highlighted Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s latest directions on implementing 28 resolutions regarding the decentralisation and delegation of authority.
The lab focuses on four key thematic areas: energy transition and green innovation, sustainable agriculture, circular economy and sustainable cities, and nature-based solutions and biodiversity.
The key content of the document titled "Accelerating Innovative Strategies: Addressing the OOSCY Challenges" will be refined further in a seminar preceding the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur this October.
This follows Telegram’s serious failure to address the content that has been repeatedly reported to them, despite various efforts of negotiation and cooperation made by MCMC, it said.
Efforts to empower women must transcend dialogue and translate into concrete commitments, including corporate pledges and government partnerships, according to the spouse of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
The forum featured two in-depth discussion sessions, engaging representatives from governments, think tanks, and businesses from both ASEAN and China, on how to forge closer ties for a common future.
The new FIFA Hub in Jakarta will not only support football development in Indonesia but also serve as a coordination centre for 21 football associations across Southeast and East Asia.
Minister Counselor Nguyen Hoang Nguyen reaffirmed Vietnam’s principled and consistent stance on the Palestine issue, calling for an immediate and lasting ceasefire across the entire Gaza Strip.
PM Anwar Ibrahim affirmed the determination of Malaysia, as ASEAN Chair for 2025, to utilise all viable regional mechanisms of the bloc and work with partners to de-escalate violence and restore a peace process led by Myanmar.
Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli (Photo: thestar.com.my) 
