The minimum wage rule takes effect on July 1. However, PSM said, some employers were likely to later claim that they were unaware the law had taken effect on July 1.

PSM Workers Bureau Coordinator M. Sivaranjani hoped the Government would monitor and enforce it. It should especially be wary of companies which might try to manipulate the situation, or use other tactics, to get away from paying the minimum wage.

“The Human Resources Ministry must make sure the implementation goes well from July 1 onwards. They should not accept any excuse from any company as it is clear that companies in the private sector need to pay minimum wages to staff,” she said in a press statement today.

Sivaranjani urged the ministry to set up a hotline to make it easier for any worker to complain about their company. “The details of the caller should not be revealed as they might be victimised by the employer.”

She said companies had nothing to complain about as the minimum wage proposed by the World Bank was RM1,100, and the amount they were required to pay was far lower than the minimum wage for government workers, which is RM1200.

The Minimum Wages Order 2016 (MWO 2016) involves all employees in the private sector, regardless of the number of employees they have, except domestic helpers (maids).

According to the MWO 2016, the minimum wage is set at RM1,000 per month or RM4.81 per hour for the Peninsula, and RM920 per month or RM4.42 per hour for Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan.

As for the daily minimum wage rate, it is subject to a maximum of 48 hours per week. This means, in the Peninsula, if it is a six-day working week (48 hours), the daily minimum wage rate is RM38.46, if five days per week it is RM46.15, and if four days per week it is RM57.69.