KOTA KINABALU - The minimum wage policy must prioritise local workers first before it is extended to the foreign workforce, said Sabah Housing and Real Estate Developers Association (Shareda) President Datuk Susan Wong.
She said the State Government's readiness to accept recommendations and views from both employers and employees on the implementation of the RM800 minimum monthly wage policy in Sabah was good news.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Dr Yee Moh Chai who is also Resources Development and Information Technology Minister said the State Cabinet made the decision in view of the teething problem faced by employers and employees during the early stage of implementation.
Dr Yee said all the recommendations and feedback would be conveyed to the Federal Government for consideration.
"Of course, it will be better if the minimum wage can be lowered but if it has to be implemented (as it is) it will be better if it benefit Malaysian workers and delay imposing it for foreign workers," she said when asked.
She believed wages for foreign workers should be market-driven since employers were also paying levy for them.
"From my experience construction site work is tougher than other jobs so they usually paid more than RM800 but what is important is that this policy looks after the benefit of locals," she said.
Another issue deriving from the implementation of the minimum wage policy, she said was that employers like her would not be able to employ temporary workers anymore.
"We use to take in fresh school leavers who wanted to work at our factory for a few months just to gain experience and earn some pocket money.
They don't mind being paid the RM18 daily wages (about RM540 per month).
"But I think we have to focus on those who are serious to work and avoid but to lay off workers performing less functions.
"It is good if the policy can be made flexibleÉwe (now) have to select quality employees for more productivity," she said.
Many trade organisations in Sabah had voiced out their grievances on the implementation saying that it would cause higher operation cost and some such as coffee shops had already increased their prices.
The policy was gazetted middle of last year and it was supposed to be imposed beginning January.
Musa said the implementation of the minimum wage policy should be seen from the perspective of it being the key that could motivate employees to improve their productivity and strengthen businesses.
ReplyDelete"I believe the minimum wage policy should by right not only protect employees but also employers. Rest assured the Government values the contribution of the business community to the economy and will not purposely create a situation that will cause disadvantage to businesses," he said.
ReplyDeleteStop politicising the issue on the implementation of a minimum wage policy.
ReplyDeleteThis was what the Minister of Resource Development and Information Technology, Datuk Dr. Yee Moh Chai had to say when reacting to a statement on the minimum wage by a DAP leader from Tawau.
ReplyDeleteSabah DAP Publicity Secretary Chan Foong Hin alleged that Yee had flip-flopped on the minimum wage issue as reported in a local newspaper.
ReplyDelete“It is very regrettable that there are opposition politicians such as those from the DAP making sarcastic statements about the minimum wage issue without checking the facts,” Yee told reporters
ReplyDelete“Why should they make use of the minimum wage issue to gain public sympathy instead of solving their own internal problems first such as the alleged technical error in the counting of votes in their recent party election?
ReplyDelete“There is no need to teach a duck how to swim. They should be more sensitive to the internal problems of their own party before lashing out at the government, which has proven its capability in safeguarding the interests of the people,” he said
ReplyDeleteYee added the DAP statement was only a gimmick and a tactic to confuse the people.
ReplyDeleteHe said decision on the minimum wage was not made arbitrarily.
ReplyDelete“The government had gone through a lot of study and consultations with relevant parties concerned before the minimum wage was announced,” he said.
ReplyDeleteYee said the DAP had never considered the interests of both parties – employers and employees – because they are fighting for their personal agenda rather than well-being of the community.
ReplyDeleteWalaupun ada pihak yang menganggap langkah melaksanakan gaji minimum boleh menyebabkan negara muflis kerana terpaksa membayar lebih untuk kerja yang kurang selain cuti umum yang terlalu boleh menjejaskan produktiviti negara.
ReplyDeletekerajaan tetap komited untuk melaksankannya setelah mengambil kira semua aspek daripada segenap sudut.
ReplyDeleteSebaliknya kerajaan menganggap penetapan gaji minimum tidak akan mendatangkan sebarang masalah jauh sekali boleh menyebabkan negara muflis sebaliknya ia dilihat sebagai pemangkin kepada golongan pekerja untuk meningkatkan lagi produktiviti masing-masing.
ReplyDeleteTambahan pula kerajaan tidak mengambil mudah dalam melaksanakannya dan untuk memastikan ia berkesan dan mampu menyumbang sesuatu kepada produktiviti dan ekonomi negara, pelbagai kajian dijalankan termasuk mendapatkan cadangan dan maklum balas daripada banyak pihak
ReplyDeleteKetika ini lebih 80 buah negara sudah pun melaksanakan penetapan gaji minimum dan pelaksanaannya tidak menimbulkan sebarang masalah kepada pertumbuhan ekonomi dan produktiviti sebaliknya ia dilihat sebagai satu perkara positif untuk membangunkan sektor ekonomi.
ReplyDeleteDi kalangan negara-negara Asia, Singapura, Jepun dan Taiwan sudah lama melaksanakannya dan pelaksanaannya sama sekali tidak menjejaskan produktiviti negara terbabit.
ReplyDeleteDan jika ingin dibuat perbandingan dengan ketiga-tiga negara terbabit, struktur gaji di negara ini adalah jauh lebih rendah.
ReplyDeleteSelari dengan hasrat Malaysia untuk menjadi sebuah negara maju berpendapatan tinggi menjelang 2020, sudah sampai masanya kerajaan mengambil pendekatan tersebut.
ReplyDeleteTambahan pula dalam melaksanakannya, kerajaan mempunyai strategi tersendiri dan pelaksanaannya diyakini tidak akan memberi kesan kepada ekonomi negara.
ReplyDelete