Guan Eng says foreign workers should be excluded from minimum wage hike, calls for EPF levy repeal

DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng urges the government to exempt foreign workers from any minimum wage increase to protect local MSMEs from rising operating costs.

Lim argues that the minimum wage increase should apply only to Malaysian workers and calls for abolishing the mandatory EPF contribution for foreign employees.

He stresses the importance of supporting domestic enterprises and preventing policies that may weaken the competitiveness of Malaysian businesses.

GEORGE TOWN, Sept 29 — DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng today called on the government to exclude foreign workers from any increase in Malaysia’s minimum wage, arguing that the move would help protect local businesses, particularly micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), from rising operating costs.

In a statement, Lim said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is expected to announce a revision to the minimum wage during the tabling of Budget 2027 on Oct 9, following the government’s assessment that wage growth has not kept pace with gains in worker productivity and corporate profits.

While acknowledging the rationale for higher wages, Lim said the prospect of a minimum wage increase has sparked concern among local businesses already grappling with intense competition, higher compliance costs and taxes, as well as price pressures from overseas producers.

He said MSMEs, which form the backbone of the domestic economy, are facing mounting challenges amid a sluggish economic environment and should be consulted before any policy changes are implemented.

Lim argued that any upward revision in the minimum wage should apply only to Malaysian workers, saying foreign employees should not benefit from the increase as they were hired under mutually agreed employment contracts.

He also renewed calls for the immediate abolition of the mandatory two per cent Employees Provident Fund (EPF) contribution for foreign workers, contending that the requirement imposes an unnecessary burden on employers without providing meaningful benefits to migrant workers.

According to Lim, exempting foreign workers from minimum wage increases and scrapping the EPF contribution requirement would help ease cost pressures on local businesses and safeguard the viability of approximately 1.2 million MSMEs nationwide.

He urged the government to prioritise the interests of domestic enterprises and ensure that policies designed to raise wages do not inadvertently undermine the competitiveness of Malaysian businesses.

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民主行动党主席林冠英敦促政府豁免外籍劳工的最低工资上涨，以保护本地中小微企业免受运营成本上涨的影响。

林先生认为最低工资上涨应该只适用于马来西亚工人，并呼吁取消外籍员工的强制性公积金缴款。

他强调支持国内企业的重要性，并防止出台可能削弱马来西亚企业竞争力的政策。

乔治市，9月29日讯——民主行动党主席林冠英今日呼吁政府将外籍劳工排除在马来西亚最低工资上涨范围之外，他认为此举将有助于保护本地企业，特别是微型、小型和中型企业（中小微企业）免受运营成本上涨的影响。

林冠英在一份声明中表示，鉴于政府评估认为工资增长未能跟上工人生产力和企业利润的增长，预计首相拿督斯里安华·易卜拉欣将在10月9日提交2027年财政预算案时宣布修订最低工资标准。

林先生虽然承认提高工资的理由，但他表示，最低工资上涨的前景引发了当地企业的担忧，这些企业已经面临着激烈的竞争、更高的合规成本和税收，以及来自海外生产商的价格压力。

他表示，中小微企业是国内经济的支柱，在经济环境低迷的情况下，它们正面临日益严峻的挑战，在实施任何政策变化之前都应该咨询它们的意见。

林先生认为，最低工资的任何上调都应该只适用于马来西亚工人，并表示外国雇员不应从中受益，因为他们是根据双方同意的雇佣合同被雇用的。

他还再次呼吁立即取消外籍劳工强制缴纳 2% 的雇员公积金 (EPF) 缴款，认为这项规定给雇主带来了不必要的负担，却没有给外籍劳工带来任何实质性的好处。

林先生表示，免除外籍劳工最低工资增长义务并取消公积金缴款要求，将有助于减轻本地企业的成本压力，并保障全国约 120 万家中小微企业的生存能力。

他敦促政府优先考虑国内企业的利益，并确保旨在提高工资的政策不会无意中削弱马来西亚企业的竞争力。

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