Comply with minimum wage rule, Sabah employers told

KOTA KINABALU: Most of the workers complaining about not getting paid a minimum wage are those from the trade, wholesale and retail industries in Sabah, says the state Labour Department director.

Wan Zulkifli Wan Setapa said those working at management level and in support services industries like accommodation are next in line when it comes to making these complaints.

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He said from the department's monitoring of adherence to minimum wage requirements between January and July, a total of 72 out of 6,819 workplaces were found to have violated this rule.

“From a further 1,005 complaints received, we found that 6% are on minimum wage woes,” he told a press conference after a convention on employment issues in Sandakan on Tuesday (Aug 23).

Wan Zulkifli said the department also received a total of 80 cases filed at the Labour Department regarding the minimum wage issue.

He said the total arrears in minimum wage payments for Sabah in the same period is RM471,636, involving a total of 21, 959 employees.

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“We hope all employers in Sabah will abide by minimum wage implementation requirements so that legal action will not be taken against them under the Labour Law and Minimum Wages Order 2022,” he said.

Zulkifli said employers can be fined up to RM10,000 for each worker if they failed to abide by the minimum wage order.

He urged workers to know their rights and to report their plight to the Labour Department if employers refuse to pay them accordingly.

A total of 200 employers from sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, retailing, restaurants, cleaning services, employers' unions and academicians took part in the convention.

Zulkifli reminded employers that the labour force was important as they are key players in the development of the nation and businesses in the country.