It turns out that some sectors will enjoy flexibility once the implementation of the RM1,500 minimum wage starts on 1 May. According to Human Resources Minister, Datuk Seri M. Saravanan, this includes those who do odd jobs, companies with less than five employees, and those who are facing huge losses such as the hospitality and tourism sectors.
“Odd-job workers are still earning RM500 to RM600 salary. If I force companies to pay them RM1,500 they will soon be out of a job,” Saravanan said. The flexibility could be for any party in need and extended by the minister for a one-year duration.
Saravanan was speaking during an event to launch the microcredential HRD Corp initiative which is a series of short courses to enable individuals to be professionally recognized and evaluated based on their skill, knowledge, and attitude. The target is to offer 50,000 such training courses to Malaysians by end of 2022.
Among the skill areas that are available in the microcredential HRD Corp initiative includes (but not limited to): finance and accounting, legal, digitalization, engineering, hospitality and tourism, healthcare, sales and marketing industry 4.0, creative arts, and journalism.
More details on the HRD Corp initiative can be found here.
