Beyond minimum wage, Malaysia needs clearer wage ladders tied to productivity, says Akmal Nasrullah

Wage compression is limiting fair compensation for working Malaysians despite the narrowing wage gap between low- and semi-skilled workers, according to Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah.

He highlighted the need for improved wage structures that align with productivity, as current minimum wage increases are insufficient.

Only four regions have surpassed the national median wage, prompting the government to increase development funds for other states.

Akmal also emphasized managing living costs to ensure working Malaysians benefit from wage advancements, with the minimum wage targeted to reach RM3,000 by 2030.

PUTRAJAYA, Sept 22 — Wage compression is hindering working Malaysians from receiving proper compensation despite the narrowing wage gap between low- and semi-skilled workers in Malaysia, Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir said today.

Citing a recent Bank Negara report, Akmal Nasrullah said the wage difference between low- and semi-skilled workers had narrowed from RM550 in 2016 to RM396 in 2024.

“This means the wage is moving (upwards) at the minimum wage level but comparatively, it is not progressing as well in the successive levels,” he said during the ministry’s monthly assembly at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC) today.

As such, he said raising the floor wage was only a starting point and the ministry must develop clearer wage ladders that keep pace with productivity.

Akmal Nasrullah also pointed out that only four states and federal territories had surpassed the national median monthly wage of RM2,940, namely Penang, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.

The ministry, he said, had decided to allocate higher development allocations to six states and territories — Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan, Terengganu, Sabah and Sarawak — to support them in also crossing the RM2,940 mark.

While noting that Malaysia’s inflation remained moderate at 1.9 per cent, Akmal Nasrullah said managing cost-of-living pressures was essential for working Malaysians to benefit from salary progressions.

Malaysia last raised the minimum wage from RM1,500 to RM1,700 per month in August 2025 and seeks to scale it up to RM3,000 per month by 2030 under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP).

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经济部长阿克马尔·纳斯鲁拉表示，尽管低技能工人和半技能工人之间的工资差距正在缩小，但工资压缩限制了马来西亚劳动者获得公平报酬。

他强调需要改进工资结构，使其与生产力相匹配，因为目前的最低工资增长幅度不够。

只有四个地区的工资水平超过了全国平均水平，这促使政府增加了对其他地区的开发资金。

阿克马尔还强调要控制生活成本，以确保马来西亚劳动者能够从工资增长中受益，目标是到 2030 年将最低工资提高到 3000 令吉。

布城，9月22日讯——马来西亚经济部长阿克马尔·纳斯鲁拉·莫哈末·纳西尔今天表示，尽管马来西亚低技能工人和半技能工人之间的工资差距正在缩小，但工资压缩阻碍了马来西亚劳动者获得适当的报酬。

阿克马尔·纳斯鲁拉援引马来西亚国家银行最近的一份报告称，低技能工人和半技能工人之间的工资差距已从 2016 年的 550 令吉缩小到 2024 年的 396 令吉。

“这意味着最低工资水平正在上涨，但相对而言，更高一级的工资涨幅并不理想，”他今天在布城国际会议中心 (PICC) 举行的该部月度会议上表示。

因此，他表示，提高最低工资只是一个起点，该部必须制定更清晰的工资阶梯，以跟上生产力的步伐。

阿克马尔·纳斯鲁拉还指出，只有四个州和联邦直辖区的月工资中位数超过了 2940 令吉的全国平均水平，分别是槟城、雪兰莪、吉隆坡和布城。

他说，该部已决定向吉打州、玻璃市州、吉兰丹州、登嘉楼州、沙巴州和砂拉越州这六个州和地区拨出更高的发展拨款，以支持它们也突破 2940 令吉的关口。

阿克马尔·纳斯鲁拉指出，马来西亚的通货膨胀率保持在1.9%的温和水平，但他表示，管理生活成本压力对于马来西亚劳动者来说至关重要，这样他们才能从工资增长中受益。

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