KUCHING: Workers should be paid salaries commensurate with competencies and skills.
Lending support to the unity government’s move to increase the wages of workers to a minimum RM1,500 in July next year, the Sarawak Patriot Association urged companies to provide training for employees to brush up their competency skills.
Its chairman Datuk Dr Lau Pang Heng said his association conducted a random sampling survey among employees in the services, retail and manufacturing sectors with some 360 participants out of 7,200 data base records.
“If the right training is given, high productive workers can be produced and our survey results shows that 95 percent of the workers are willing to master new skills to be more productive at their workplace and 70 percent of employers are willing to pay their staff higher wages if they sharpen their competency skills and perform their jobs effectively.
“Workers need to undergo continuous training to keep themselves updated with technological advancement,” he said.
Lau felt the RM1,500 salary is suitable for workers and SPM school leavers, and urged the Pakatan Harapan-led administration to set minimum entry salary for diploma, bachelors and masters degree holders as well.
The newly minted government led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim stated the proposed new minimum wage implementation will take place six months from now, as the country is still reeling from the economic shock brought about by the pandemic and the floods at the end of last year.
In a related manner, Pertubuhan Pembangunan Insan Sarawak(PPIS) said postponing the implementation of the minimum wage would do more harm than good.
Its chairman Manjeet Kaur Sindhu said with the high living cost, food is expensive and it is challenging to sustain basic daily expenses, especially for the breadwinners of the family.
“After all, RM1,500 is merely a small amount for survival at this point of time as you need to pay for car, transportation, medical expenses and what not to get by.
“I believe the delay will cause Malaysian youth and fresh graduates to work overseas like Singapore, considering higher payroll and conversion rate,” she said.
