MTUC gesa gaji minimum RM3,100 dalam Belanjawan 2027

Negara Malaysia's Workers' Union (MTUC) has urged the government to raise the minimum wage to RM3,100 under the 2027 budget, citing the disparity between workers' wages and the profits generated by large corporations. MTUC President, Kamarul Baharin Mansor, argued that corporations, both government-linked companies (GLCs) and government-linked investment companies (GLICs), should lead the way in offering better wages before the private sector is pressured to follow suit.

Mansor believes that wage management should begin with the management of GLCs and GLICs, highlighting that top executives enjoy benefits while lower-level employees receive the rest. In a statement, he welcomed criticism from Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who has expressed concern about large companies paying low wages despite generating substantial profits, while emphasizing that workers who contribute to those profits deserve fair compensation.

Recently, Anwar stated that the 2027 budget would include steps to raise the average wage of the private sector in line with productivity growth. The finance minister added that the ministry would seek a compromise with the private sector to increase wages in sync with productivity levels, rather than relying on legal action.

Since May 2025, six GLICs have set a minimum wage of RM3,100 for permanent employees as part of the minimum living wage implementation. This includes Khazanah Nasional Bhd, Petronas Bhd, the Employees' Provident Fund (KWSP), the Employees' Retirement Scheme (Diperbadankan), the Malaysian Armed Forces Provident Fund (LTAT), and the Hajj Endowment Fund (Lembaga Tabung Haji).

Last year, Anwar told Parliament that 34 GLCs and GLICs had already implemented the RM3,100 minimum living wage. The current minimum wage is RM1,700 per month. Anwar was reported to have said that RM1,700 should not be considered the starting wage for skilled or graduate workers.