Gradual minimum wage hike better

“The government needs to consider the timing, magnitude and quantum on this matter carefully,” Sunway University economics professor Dr Yeah Kim Leng (file pic) told StarBiz.

PETALING JAYA: The imminent hike in the minimum wage has caught the private sector off guard, with some cautioning the move may squeeze the economy.

"The increase of 25% in the minimum wage is sharp – from RM1,200 to RM1,500. We are still at the early stages of an economic recovery and a number of economies are still not out of the woods yet.