KUALA LUMPUR: Nearly 6,000 employers have opened accounts to participate in the Progressive Wage Policy (PWP) up to the end of November, says Human Resources Minister Steven Sim (pic).
"As of Nov 30, a total of 5,808 employers have opened accounts through PWP.
"Of this number, 3,925 employers (67.6%) have submitted applications to participate in PWP," the Human Resources Minister said during Minister's Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat on Thursday (Dec 4).
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Among those who applied, 2,846 employers have increased their workers’ wages according to the PWP incentive requirements.
This involves 31,776 workers who have received wage increases, Sim said, adding that overall, participation has reached 63.6% of the target of 50,000 employees.
"The remaining 36.4% is expected to be achieved early next year," he added.
Sim said the PWP is a government initiative to reform the labour market by increasing worker incomes systematically in line with improvements in their skill levels and productivity.
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"The proposal for implementing the PWP was presented to and agreed upon in principle by the National Economic Action Council on Aug 7, 2023.
"The proposal later received Cabinet approval on Sept 27 that year," he said.
He added that the PWP offers financial incentives to registered employers who agree to increase their employees’ wages.
The incentives offered are up to RM200 per month for entry-level workers and up to RM300 per month for non-entry-level employees.
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Sim said the main target of the initiative was local employers who are registered with the Employees Provident Fund and PERKESO but are not government-linked companies (GLCs).
"The targeted employees are Malaysian citizens working full-time with a basic salary between the minimum wage and RM4,999 per month," he told Dr Ku Abd Rahman Ku Ismail (PN-Kubang Pasu), who wanted to know the progress and achievements of the PWP since its implementation.
