KUALA LUMPUR: The Human Resources Ministry and Finance Ministry will discuss issues on employees who are not receiving the minimum wage as stipulated by law, says deputy minister Mustapha Sakmud (PH-Sepanggar).
He said that the issue, involving workers in the cleaning and security sectors, was due to the fact that the job contracts were inked before the implementation of the new minimum wage order, on May 1 last year.
“This (issue) involves contracts that were agreed on before May 1 last year.
“Discussions are ongoing between the two ministries to ensure that the companies involved increase the salaries in accordance with the new minimum wage order,” he said.
Mustapha said this when responding to Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman (Muda-Muar) in the Dewan Rakyat on Thursday (March 23).
Syed Saddiq claimed that there were around 45,000 cleaning workers under the Education Ministry who were not paid in accordance with the minimum wage.
Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden (PN-Alor Setar) later asked Mustapha on the mechanism to root out companies that were avoiding the new minimum wage order.
The deputy minister said that the Human Resources Ministry, through the Labour Department, would enforce inspections.
“Any employers that failed to implement the minimum wage order, the ministry through the department will enforce inspections.
“We have done a total of 28,722 inspections on employers. We have issued 2,659 compliance orders and 21 charges involving a total compound of RM35,700,” he said.
In December last year, the implementation of a minimum wage order of RM1,500 was postponed for employers who employ five workers or less.
