The Labor Day march organizers this year have urged Malaysians to join their fight for more equitable pay, arguing that the country’s present minimum wage is insufficient to provide a respectable quality of living.
As reported by Free Malaysia Today, a coalition of organizations led by Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) called the May 1 Secretariat stated that they anticipate the government establishing a new minimum wage of RM2,000 this year.
“Despite Malaysia implementing a minimum wage of RM1,500 per month, this amount remains low compared to the actual cost of living,” PSM deputy chairman S Arutchelvan said at a press conference.
“Therefore, this year’s theme advocates for a living wage rather than just a minimum wage.”
The Labor Day event organizers this year have urged Malaysians to join their fight for more equitable pay, also arguing that the country’s present minimum wage is insufficient to provide a respectable quality of living.
A coalition of organizations led by Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) called the May 1 Secretariat stated that they anticipate the government establishing a new minimum wage of RM2,000 this year.
In 2018, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) introduced the notion of a living wage, defined as the minimal income required for a household to be free from extreme financial stress, engage in society, and have the chance for personal and family development.
According to the assessment, the living wage in the capital is RM2,700 for single persons, RM4,500 for childless couples, and RM6,500 for couples with two children.
According to Arutchelvan, who cited statistics from the department, as of March 2023, over 2.2 million employees in Malaysia’s official sector made less than RM2,000 monthly.
In order to protect gig workers’workers’ welfare, Arutchelvan also requested the government to recognize gig workers under the Employment Act of 1955 or create a Gig Worker Act.
This year’s march will begin and finish at Dataran Maybank and Dataran Merdeka.
Approximately 1,000 delegates from 87 political parties and NGOs gathered in the city center for the previous edition.
