Higher minimum wage not a silver bullet, but crucial for income growth, says Johan Merican

Kuala Lumpur will implement a RM2,000 minimum wage by June, providing businesses with a transition period to adjust their salary structures, as stated by Treasury Secretary-General Tan Sri Johan Mahmood Merican.

The policy aims to combat slow wage growth relative to living costs and prevent wage compression, particularly in large companies and government-linked firms, which are expected to adopt a living wage of RM3,400.

The National Wages Consultative Council supports this plan, and additional adaptation time will be granted to micro, small, and medium enterprises to manage potential cost shocks from geopolitical tensions.

The government will also advance the Progressive Wage Policy to establish a minimum wage for semi-skilled roles.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 — The implementation of the RM2,000 minimum wage next June is structured to provide businesses and corporations with an adequate transition window to adjust their salary frameworks, Treasury Secretary-General Tan Sri Johan Mahmood Merican said.

Speaking to reporters following the Post-Budget 2027 Debate organised by the Malaysian Economic Association in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, Johan identified sluggish wage growth relative to living expenses as the primary driver of household financial strain, even as headline inflation remains contained.

“This is why driving up the people's earning power is so critical. Raising the minimum wage is part of that strategy.

“While it isn't a silver bullet on its own, it plays a vital role and we are starting with large companies,” Johan said.

Johan said that the broader policy goal extends beyond lifting wages for entry-level workers to preventing wage compression, an outcome where pay raises for the lowest tier inadvertently squeeze differentials while intermediate salaries remain stagnant.

“The hope is that these large companies will also look at their overall salary structures and make adjustments based on the increase in the minimum wage.

“This is why the government mandated that government-linked-companies (GLC) adopt a living wage baseline of RM3,400, setting a benchmark for the private sector to follow when determining salary levels,” he said.

Johan noted that the RM2,000 baseline was deliberated and endorsed without contention by the National Wages Consultative Council, which comprises representatives from both trade unions and employer federations.

Extended adjustment window for small businesses

However, the Cabinet decided to grant an extended adjustment grace period for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to buffer them against operational cost shocks while they navigate the economic spillover effects of ongoing Middle East geopolitical tensions.

Alongside the RM2,000 statutory minimum wage and the RM3,400 GLC living wage threshold, Johan said the government will also maintain momentum on the Progressive Wage Policy, with plans also underway to introduce a dedicated minimum wage tier for semi-skilled occupations.

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财政部秘书长丹斯里约翰·马哈茂德·梅里坎表示，吉隆坡将于6月起实施2000令吉的最低工资标准，为企业提供过渡期来调整其薪资结构。

该政策旨在应对工资增长相对于生活成本增长缓慢的问题，并防止工资压缩，尤其是在大型企业和政府关联企业中，预计这些企业将采用 3400 令吉的生活工资标准。

全国工资咨询委员会支持这项计划，并将给予微型、小型和中型企业额外的适应时间，以应对地缘政治紧张局势可能带来的成本冲击。

政府还将推进渐进式工资政策，为半熟练工种设立最低工资标准。

吉隆坡，10月13日讯——财政部秘书长丹斯里约翰·马哈茂德·梅里坎表示，明年6月实施的2000令吉最低工资标准旨在为企业和公司提供充足的过渡窗口来调整其薪酬体系。

昨天，在吉隆坡举行的马来西亚经济协会组织的 2027 年预算案后辩论会后，Johan 对记者表示，尽管总体通胀仍然得到控制，但相对于生活支出而言，工资增长缓慢是导致家庭财务压力的主要因素。

“这就是为什么提高人民收入能力如此重要的原因。提高最低工资是这项战略的一部分。”

“虽然它本身并不是万灵药，但它发挥着至关重要的作用，我们首先从大型公司入手，”约翰说。

约翰表示，更广泛的政策目标不仅限于提高入门级工人的工资，还要防止工资压缩，即最低层级工资的提高无意中缩小了工资差距，而中间层级的工资却停滞不前。

“希望这些大公司也能审视一下他们的整体薪酬结构，并根据最低工资的增长做出调整。

“正因如此，政府强制规定政府关联公司（GLC）采用3400令吉的最低生活工资标准，为私营部门确定工资水平设定了基准，”他说道。

约翰指出，2000令吉的基准工资标准经过全国工资咨询委员会的审议和批准，没有引起任何争议。该委员会由工会和雇主联合会的代表组成。

小型企业的调整窗口期延长

然而，内阁决定给予微型、小型和中型企业（MSME）更长的调整宽限期，以缓冲它们在应对持续的中东地缘政治紧张局势带来的经济溢出效应时所受到的运营成本冲击。

除了 2000 令吉的法定最低工资和 3400 令吉的官联公司生活工资门槛外，约翰表示，政府还将继续推进渐进式工资政策，并计划为半熟练职业引入专门的最低工资标准。

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