PENANG Deputy Chief Minister P. Ramasamy today questioned the government’s move to defer to July the enforcement of the minimum wage for employers with fewer than five workers.

The DAP leader said the decision took into consideration only the  position of the employers.

Ramasamy asked Human Resources Minister V. Sivakumar, who is his DAP colleague, if the cabinet was fully apprised of the matter.

“It is fair that the government should consider the position of the employers but what about the employees? Like the employers, they were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.

“Many were not employed or partially employed during the pandemic. Some might have even lost their jobs.”

He said the Human Resources Ministry should have provided the data on the financial position of both the employers and employees.

“What was done was a unilateral decision to postpone the minimum wage on the grounds that it might be burdensome to employers.

“But unfortunately the welfare and wellbeing of workers did not factor in the decision.”

Sivakumar has announced that employers with fewer than five workers will only have to start paying the minimum wage of RM1,500 from July.

The minister said the cabinet made the decision last week.

He said this after he was accused of giving in to lobbying by employers.

“SMEs have not recovered fully from the effects of the pandemic and if we (raise the minimum wage) it will fruther burden the SMEs.

“But workers will continue to enjoy new benefits such as more maternity and paternity leave and flexible working hours when the amendments to the Employment Act come into effect Janurary 1, 2023.” – December 31, 2022.