KUCHING: Workers in the formal sector in Malaysia continue to receive low wages, said Malaysian Future Institute Fellow Datuk Dr. Madeline Berma.
She made this statement on her Facebook page sharing the latest official data on the median wages received by formal sector workers in Malaysia for the period from January to March 2023.
“It turns out that Malaysian workers receive low wages,” she said.
Data from the Department of Statistics Malaysia indicates that the median wage rate for formal sector workers in Perlis is the lowest, followed by Kelantan, Sabah, Kedah, and Terengganu, with rates not exceeding RM2,000.
The highest wage rate is in Kuala Lumpur, reaching up to RM4,000, followed by Selangor, Penang, Johor and Melaka at rates ranging from RM2,000 to almost RM3,000.
In Sarawak, the wage rate ranges from RM1,982 to RM2,000.
Hence, Madeline describes wages in Malaysia as low, with slow growth, making it challenging for many workers to cope with the high cost of living.
“The median wage is RM2,600. We hope that the wages of our workers will increase,” she said.
