Minimum wage debate: What workers want, what employers say and what comes next

Malaysia's minimum wage, currently at RM1,700, is under discussion as the government considers changes ahead of Budget 2027 amid calls for an increase.

The Malaysian Trades Union Congress proposed raising the minimum wage to RM3,100, citing rising living costs, while employers warned against a steep rise.

The government has yet to decide on a new minimum wage, with a review due by 2027, and any announcement will require Cabinet approval.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 8 — Malaysia’s minimum wage is once again under the spotlight, with workers pushing for higher pay while employers warn against a steep increase as the federal government weighs its options ahead of Budget 2027.

The minimum wage is the statutory floor for basic pay that an employer must pay a covered worker — it does not include allowances, incentives or other additional payments.

But before getting into the arguments being made today, here is a quick look at how Malaysia’s minimum wage has changed over the years.

When did Malaysia introduce the minimum wage?

Malaysia’s minimum wage currently stands at RM1,700 a month.

But did you know it was not always at this level?

In fact, Malaysia first introduced a statutory minimum wage through the Minimum Wage Order (MWO) 2012, which took effect in January 2013, setting the country on a path of periodic wage increases.

The rate was initially set at RM900 a month in Peninsular Malaysia and RM800 in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan.

The MWO was then amended in April 2016, raising the rate to RM1,000 a month in Peninsular Malaysia and RM920 in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan, effective July that year.

It was amended again in 2018, when the government introduced a single nationwide rate of RM1,100 starting in January 2019, effectively removing the regional difference.

The MWO was amended for a third time in December 2019, when the government set the minimum wage at RM1,200 for urban areas and RM1,100 for rural areas, based on the locality of the relevant local authority, effective February 2020.

In April 2022, an amendment to the existing MWO was made and the government introduced a single nationwide minimum wage of RM1,500, which took effect in January 2023.

The most recent increase came in December 2024, when the government introduced the current minimum wage of RM1,700, which took effect in February 2025.

So where does the debate stand?

The next question, then, is when the minimum wage is due for review.

Under Section 25(1) of the National Wages Consultative Council Act, the Council is required to review the minimum wage order at least once every two years.

With the current RM1,700 rate having taken effect in 2025, the minimum wage is due for review by 2027.

Nevertheless, in August, the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) proposed raising the national minimum wage to RM3,100, describing it as a necessary “living wage” benchmark.

MTUC secretary-general Kamarul Baharin Mansor was quoted as saying the amount should be considered to reflect the rising costs of food, housing, transportation and other necessities.

He also called for expanding the wage structure to cover middle-income workers whose salaries have remained stagnant at the minimum rate, with some still earning RM1,700 despite a decade of service due to the lack of a defined salary progression framework.

In response, both the SME Association of Malaysia and Malaysia Retail Chain Association (MRCA) called on the government to defer any minimum wage increase for now, citing challenging operating conditions.

They cautioned that a blanket increase could severely strain SMEs already grappling with economic headwinds, saying they were not opposed to better wages but stressed that structural support was needed to help businesses absorb higher labour costs.

As for the government, Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramanan said in August that the National Wages Consultative Council would review the current minimum wage to decide whether to maintain or raise the rate.

However, by September, Ramanan said no decision had yet been made on a new minimum wage rate, adding that any announcement would only follow Cabinet approval.

With Budget 2027 set to be tabled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in the Dewan Rakyat on October 9, attention is now turning to whether the government will announce any changes to the current RM1,700 minimum wage.

Haze: All Johor schools to close for two days starting tomorrow by Regent’s decree over unhealthy API

Laos meth bust: Four arrested in Subang Airport hangar raid over 521kg found in Learjet

Anwar: Budget 2027 to turn economic growth into better lives for Malaysians

马来西亚目前的最低工资为 1700 令吉，政府正在考虑在 2027 年财政预算案之前对最低工资进行调整，因为各方呼吁提高最低工资。

马来西亚职工总会提议将最低工资提高到3100令吉，理由是生活成本不断上涨，而雇主则警告不要大幅提高工资。

政府尚未决定新的最低工资标准，预计将于 2027 年进行审查，任何公告都需要内阁批准。

吉隆坡，10 月 8 日——马来西亚的最低工资再次成为关注焦点，工人们呼吁提高工资，而雇主则警告不要大幅提高工资，因为联邦政府正在权衡 2027 年财政预算案的各种选择。

最低工资是雇主必须向受保工人支付的基本工资的法定最低标准——它不包括津贴、奖励或其他额外款项。

但在深入探讨今天的论点之前，让我们快速了解一下马来西亚的最低工资这些年来发生了哪些变化。

马来西亚何时开始实行最低工资标准？

马来西亚目前的最低工资为每月1700令吉。

但你知道吗？它并非一直都达到这种水平。

事实上，马来西亚最早通过 2012 年最低工资令 (MWO) 引入了法定最低工资，该法令于 2013 年 1 月生效，使该国走上了定期提高工资的道路。

最初，马来西亚半岛的收费标准定为每月 900 令吉，沙巴、砂拉越和纳闽的收费标准定为每月 800 令吉。

随后，MWO 于 2016 年 4 月进行了修订，将马来西亚半岛的月补贴额提高到 1000 令吉，沙巴、砂拉越和纳闽的月补贴额提高到 920 令吉，自当年 7 月起生效。

2018 年，政府再次对其进行了修订，从 2019 年 1 月起实行全国统一的 1100 令吉税率，有效地消除了地区差异。

2019 年 12 月，政府第三次修订了最低工资条例，将城市地区的最低工资定为 1200 令吉，农村地区的最低工资定为 1100 令吉，具体金额取决于相关地方政府所在地，该条例于 2020 年 2 月生效。

2022 年 4 月，政府对现行最低工资条例进行了修订，引入了全国统一的最低工资标准 1500 令吉，该标准于 2023 年 1 月生效。

最近一次提高最低工资是在 2024 年 12 月，当时政府推出了目前的 1700 令吉最低工资标准，该标准于 2025 年 2 月生效。

那么这场争论目前进展如何？

那么，下一个问题是，最低工资何时需要重新审查。

根据《国家工资咨询委员会法》第 25(1) 条规定，该委员会必须至少每两年审查一次最低工资令。

现行的1700令吉最低工资标准已于2025年生效，该标准将于2027年进行审查。

然而，马来西亚职工总会（MTUC）在 8 月份提议将全国最低工资提高到 3100 令吉，称其为必要的“生活工资”基准。

马来西亚职工总会秘书长卡马鲁·巴哈林·曼苏尔表示，该金额应考虑反映食品、住房、交通和其他必需品成本的上涨。

他还呼吁扩大工资结构，以涵盖中等收入工人，他们的工资一直停滞在最低工资标准，有些人尽管工作了十年，但由于缺乏明确的工资晋升框架，仍然只能拿到 1700 令吉的工资。

对此，马来西亚中小企业协会和马来西亚零售连锁协会（MRCA）均呼吁政府暂时推迟任何最低工资增长，理由是经营环境充满挑战。

他们警告说，全面提高工资可能会严重影响已经面临经济逆风的中小企业，并表示他们不反对提高工资，但强调需要结构性支持来帮助企业吸收更高的劳动力成本。

至于政府方面，人力资源部长拿督斯里拉马南在8月份表示，国家工资咨询委员会将审查目前的最低工资标准，以决定是维持现状还是提高工资水平。

然而，拉马南在9月份表示，尚未就新的最低工资标准做出决定，并补充说，任何公告都必须经过内阁批准。

2027 年财政预算案将于 10 月 9 日由首相拿督斯里安华·易卜拉欣在下议院提交，现在人们的注意力转向政府是否会宣布对目前的 1700 令吉最低工资进行任何更改。

雾霾：柔佛州所有学校明日起因空气污染指数（API）不达标，根据州摄政王令停课两天。

老挝缉毒行动：梳邦机场机库突袭，警方在一架里尔喷气机上查获521公斤冰毒，四人被捕

安华：2027年财政预算案将把经济增长转化为马来西亚人更美好的生活