KUALA LUMPUR: The government has agreed to raise the minimum wage from RM1,500 per month to RM1,700 per month, effective Feb 1, 2025, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister, said that the government had also decided to delay the enforcement of the RM1,700 minimum wage for employers with fewer than five employees for a period of six months, to Aug 1, 2025.
He said that the Ministry of Human Resources would publish guidelines for starting salaries across all job sectors for workers’ reference, such as starting salaries for Industrial and Production Technicians (RM2,290), Mechanical Engineers (RM3,380), and Creative Content Professionals (RM2,985).
“The MADANI government places emphasis the income of the people. Economic restructuring is only considered successful when the people earn meaningful wages to live more comfortably,“ he said while presenting Budget 2025 in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Meanwhile, Anwar said that the Progressive Wage Policy would be fully enforced next year with an allocation of RM200 million, benefiting 50,000 workers.
“The Progressive Wage Policy is the MADANI government’s effort to reform the labour market with the aim of increasing the income of the people. This policy began pilot implementation in June and will be fully enforced next year,“ he said.
Anwar added that RM250 million was allocated to increase participation of more impoverished individuals in the People’s Income Initiative (IPR) to boost their income next year.
“The IPR is our effort to eradicate extreme poverty through the enhancement of people’s income.
“Through the IPR initiative, Normaladiana Mohd Yazal, who is physically disabled, has helped her husband in business and has successfully doubled their family income,“ he said.
