No downgrading jobs to dodge RM2,500 graduate starting pay, Malaysian employers told

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 28 — Employers cannot arbitrarily lower job qualification requirements based on employees’ educational qualifications to avoid paying the stipulated starting salaries if amendments to the National Wages Consultative Council Act 2011 (Act 732) are implemented.

Deputy Human Resources Minister Datuk Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan said the amendments would incorporate educational qualification levels to enable the mandatory setting of minimum starting salaries for graduates in the future.

“Once this element is incorporated, employers cannot simply or arbitrarily disregard employees’ qualifications when determining their positions,” he said during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.

He was responding to a supplementary question from Wan Razali Wan Nor (PN-Kuantan), who raised concerns that employers might lower the qualification requirements for positions from degree level to diploma or Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) level to avoid paying the stipulated starting salaries for graduates.

Wan Razali also asked whether the government had taken steps to engage with public and private higher education institutions to ensure that the programmes they offer are aligned with labour market demands.

In response, Khairul Firdaus said the Department of Manpower (JTM) assessed the effectiveness of training programmes based on several aspects, including the suitability of training standards and content to industry needs, the use of more than 2,000 National Occupational Skills Standards (NOSS) as the basis for curriculum development, and industry involvement in training implementation.

The assessment also took into account the balance between theory and practical training, workplace training, skills upgrading in new technologies, and workers’ ability to adapt to changes in job functions and current technology.

Responding to a question from Syerleena Abdul Rashid (PH-Bukit Bendera) on when amendments to Act 732 would be tabled to make the implementation of a RM2,500 starting salary mandatory, he said the National Wages Consultative Council (MPGN) was updating the basic starting salary guidelines based on the Malaysia Standard Classification of Occupations (MASCO).

He said the guidelines would be published alongside the implementation of a new Minimum Wages Order, which would take effect in June 2027 and include a basic starting salary of RM2,500 per month for graduates and semi-skilled workers, as announced in Budget 2027. — Bernama

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吉隆坡，10 月 28 日讯——如果 2011 年国家工资咨询委员会法令（第 732 号法令）的修正案得以实施，雇主将不能以雇员的学历为由，随意降低工作资格要求，以逃避支付规定的起薪。

人力资源部副部长拿督凯鲁·菲尔道斯·阿克巴·汗表示，这些修正案将纳入教育资格水平，以便将来能够强制设定毕业生的最低起薪。

“一旦这一因素被纳入考量，雇主在确定职位时就不能简单地或任意地忽视雇员的资格，”他在今天国会下议院的问答环节中说道。

他是在回应来自关丹国民联盟议员 Wan Razali Wan Nor 的补充提问。Wan Razali Wan Nor 担心，雇主可能会降低职位资格要求，从学位水平降至文凭或马来西亚教育文凭 (SPM) 水平，以避免支付毕业生规定的起薪。

万拉扎利还询问政府是否已采取措施与公立和私立高等教育机构接洽，以确保其提供的课程与劳动力市场需求相符。

对此，凯鲁·菲尔道斯表示，人力部 (JTM) 从多个方面评估培训计划的有效性，包括培训标准和内容是否适合行业需求、是否以 2000 多项国家职业技能标准 (NOSS) 为基础进行课程开发，以及行业参与培训实施的情况。

评估还考虑了理论与实践培训、工作场所培训、新技术技能提升以及工人适应工作职能和当前技术变化的能力之间的平衡。

针对 Syerleena Abdul Rashid（希望联盟-武吉本德拉）提出的关于何时提交第 732 号法令修正案以强制实施 2,500 令吉起薪的问题，他表示，国家工资咨询理事会 (MPGN) 正在根据马来西亚标准职业分类 (MASCO) 更新基本起薪指导方针。

他表示，这些指导方针将与新的最低工资令一同发布。该最低工资令将于2027年6月生效，其中包括毕业生和半熟练工人每月2500令吉的基本起薪，正如2027年财政预算案中所宣布的那样。——马新社

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马来西亚国会表示，即使进一步的追回努力取得成功，马来西亚仍将面临1MDB数十亿美元的损失。

阿米尔·哈姆扎表示，尽管1MDB净负债高达201亿令吉，但并未设定追回所有1MDB资产的最后期限。