THE minimum wage of RM1,500 will be effective May 1, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced at the Umno general assembly today.

The new wage floor will be enforceable nationwide for private sector employers, said the Umno vice-president in his winding-up speech at the assembly.

“The cost of living is increasing. This is putting pressure on the B40 group.

“I have heard the debates by the Umno delegates as well as the pleas of citizens.

“Today I would like to announce in this sacred hall, that the government has approved the implementation of a new minimum wage rate of RM1,500 per month from May 1, 2022, nationwide,” he said.

The decision was made after the government had studied the impact of the higher minimum wage from RM1,200 currently.

The new minimum wage is to be implemented in another month or two, according to Human Resources Minister M. Saravanan recently.

While the cabinet is in support of it, employers groups have voiced their opposition, saying it would add to the burdens of businesses that have yet to recover losses from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The current minimum wage of RM1,200 was implemented on February 1, 2020.

The new figure of RM1,500 had been the amount promised by Pakatan Harapan which won the 2018 general election. It was however, unable to implement is as its stint in power was cut short by the Sheraton Move in February 2020. – March 19, 2022.