Lim Guan Eng says SMEs oppose mandatory EPF contributions for foreign workers

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 30 — Bagan MP Lim Guan Eng has urged the government to exempt existing foreign workers from mandatory Employees Provident Fund (EPF) contributions and a proposed RM300 monthly minimum wage increase, saying the measures would impose additional costs on local businesses, particularly micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

The DAP lawmaker said he had told Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim that employers, including MSMEs, were opposed to the mandatory contributions and the increase in minimum wages for existing foreign workers.

He claimed Anwar had been given misleading information suggesting that employers had begun accepting the requirement for a 2 per cent EPF contribution for foreign workers.

In a written parliamentary reply on October 22, Anwar said 78,129 employers had contributed to the EPF for 1,754,460 non-Malaysian workers since the mandatory scheme was introduced in October 2025.

Of these employers, 67,194, or 86 per cent, were SMEs, which Anwar said indicated that the policy was beginning to gain acceptance and was being implemented by employers.

However, Lim said those responsible for SME affairs had failed to inform the prime minister of the actual opposition among businesses to the policy.

He said the mandatory EPF contributions should apply only to newly recruited foreign workers, as the requirement was not included in existing employment contracts.

Lim argued that imposing the contributions on existing foreign workers would increase employers’ labour costs unexpectedly and affect their financial position.

He cited the Malaysian Employers Federation’s estimate in 2025 that annual spending on foreign workers’ wages exceeded RM70 billion, saying the financial implications for the national economy could be substantial.

Lim also objected to raising the monthly minimum wage for existing foreign workers by RM300, from RM1,700 to RM2,000, saying this would have an even greater financial impact on employers and contradict existing salary agreements.

He questioned the government’s reliance on International Labour Organisation (ILO) principles against discrimination between foreign and local workers to justify extending the same benefits to foreign employees.

Lim asked why foreign domestic workers were exempt from the mandatory 2 per cent EPF contribution despite also being foreign workers.

He also cited Singapore’s decision to exclude foreign workers from contributions to its Central Provident Fund, which is similar to Malaysia’s EPF, from January 1, 2003, questioning why the ILO had taken no action over the arrangement.

On minimum wages, Lim questioned why Malaysian workers employed by companies with annual sales of less than RM50 million were not required to comply with the additional RM300 increase, while domestic workers were also exempt.

He asked whether these exemptions did not amount to discrimination.

Lim said he had conveyed the concerns and dissatisfaction of MSMEs to Anwar during a meeting at the Parliament administrative block on Tuesday, October 27.

He urged the government to prioritise local employers by exempting existing foreign workers from mandatory EPF contributions and the additional RM300 minimum wage increase.

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吉隆坡，10月30日讯——峇眼国会议员林冠英敦促政府豁免现有外籍劳工缴纳强制性雇员公积金（EPF）以及拟议的每月300令吉最低工资增长，称这些措施将给本地企业，特别是微型、小型和中型企业（MSMEs）带来额外成本。

民主行动党议员表示，他已告知首相拿督斯里安华·易卜拉欣，包括中小微企业在内的雇主反对强制缴纳社保金和提高现有外籍劳工的最低工资。

他声称安华得到了误导性信息，暗示雇主已经开始接受外籍劳工缴纳 2% 公积金的要求。

安华在 10 月 22 日的书面国会答复中表示，自 2025 年 10 月强制实施公积金计划以来，已有 78,129 名雇主为 1,754,460 名非马来西亚籍工人缴纳了公积金。

在这些雇主中，有 67,194 家（占 86%）是中小企业。安华表示，这表明该政策开始被接受，并正在被雇主们实施。

然而，林先生表示，负责中小企业事务的人员未能将企业界对该政策的实际反对意见告知总理。

他表示，强制性公积金缴款规定应该只适用于新招聘的外籍工人，因为现有的雇佣合同中并没有这项要求。

林认为，对现有外籍劳工征收这些费用会意外增加雇主的劳动力成本，并影响其财务状况。

他援引马来西亚雇主联合会的估计，到 2025 年，每年用于支付外籍劳工工资的支出将超过 700 亿令吉，并表示这对国民经济的财政影响可能是巨大的。

林冠英还反对将现有外籍劳工的月最低工资提高300令吉，从1700令吉提高到2000令吉，称这将对雇主造成更大的经济影响，并且与现有的工资协议相矛盾。

他质疑政府依赖国际劳工组织（ILO）关于禁止歧视外国工人和本地工人的原则，来证明向外国雇员提供相同福利的合理性。

林先生质问道，为什么外籍家庭佣工虽然也是外籍劳工，却可以免缴2%的强制性公积金缴款。

他还援引新加坡从 2003 年 1 月 1 日起将外籍劳工排除在其中央公积金（类似于马来西亚的雇员公积金）缴款范围之外的决定，质疑国际劳工组织为何没有对此安排采取任何行动。

关于最低工资，林先生质疑，为什么年销售额低于 5000 万令吉的公司雇用的马来西亚工人不需要遵守额外增加的 300 令吉，而家庭佣工却可以豁免。

他质问道，这些豁免是否构成歧视。

林冠英表示，他已于10月27日星期二在国会行政大楼与安华会面，向他转达了中小微企业的担忧和不满。

他敦促政府优先考虑本地雇主，免除现有外籍工人的强制性公积金缴款和额外增加的300令吉最低工资。

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扎希德表示，Petronas是否继续担任MotoGP主赞助商一事尚待商榷。

经济部表示，政府计划根据各邦的需求改革发展支出分配方式。