Minimum wage study to be conducted, says HR Ministry

PETALING JAYA: A minimum wage study will be conducted this year, says the Human Resources Ministry.

It said that the study will be conducted under the National Salary Consultation Council and is expected to be presented at a Cabinet meeting as early as September of this year.

The ministry added in a statement on Saturday (Aug 31) that it is in the process of drafting a National Human Resource Policy (DSMN) that will consider the needs of different categories of workers, such as youth, women and the elderly.

It added that the policy would outline strategies and emphasise labour issues such as the agenda of an ageing country, aspects of digital talent development, skills empowerment and the green job development agenda.

Earlier, it said that 533 industry players and stakeholders attended the Human Resource Ministry 2025 Budget Dialogue session at the World Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur on Thursday (Aug 28) that was chaired by its minister Steven Sim Chee Keong.

Representatives of ministries, agencies, academics, private companies, gig companies, statutory bodies, associations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), employee representatives and employers were among those who attended.

Sim said that the result of the discussion would be examined and presented to the Finance Ministry as the KESUMA 2025 Budget Initiative.

He added that his ministry is championing the introduction of the Progressive Salary Policy and is also developing a Bill created specifically to safeguard the legal rights of gig workers in Malaysia.

This was followed by the 2025 Budget Dialogue Session: Empowering Women’s Talent engagement session on Thursday (Aug 29).

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“The session saw about 300 participants, including representatives of ministries, government agencies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), industry, employers’ and workers’ associations, academia, and the public,” said the ministry in the statement.

It added that the government will also examine all the feedback and suggestions presented during the session as a guide in drafting the 2025 Budget.

The ministry then said that the dialogue session focused on strengthening the National Women’s Policy and structural issues and coordinating women’s program initiatives at the central and state levels.

Aside from this, Sim said that his ministry is looking into developing a special TVET to increase women’s involvement in skills-based jobs, adding that the latest Employment Act 1955 amendments cover the prohibitions of discrimination in employment