The Prime Minister announced the implementation of the RM1500 minimum wage system on May 1! This is the 5th time that the government has adjusted the minimum wage system.
The initial version of the minimum wage system in Malaysia was introduced on April 30, 2012. The first minimum wage system was officially implemented in January 2013. At that time, the government set the minimum wage in West Malaysia at RM900, which is RM4.33 per hour. The minimum salary for East Malaysia is RM800 or RM3.85 per hour.
The second review of the minimum salary system was conducted on October 23, 2015 and was implemented in July 2016 with the minimum salary of RM1,000 in West Malaysia and RM920 in East Malaysia.
The minimum salary will be unified for both West and East Malaysia from January 1, 2019, which is RM1,100 per month, and will be increased to RM1,200 per month in urban areas from February 1, 2020.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri announced on March 19, 2022 that the minimum wage will be increased to RM1,500 from May 1. This measure will be implemented first from large enterprises and government-linked companies, while small businesses will not be affected for the time being.
Progress of Minimum Wage System in Malaysia
January 1, 2013: RM900 in West Malaysia and RM800 in East Malaysia
July 1, 2016: RM1,000 in West Malaysia, RM920 in East Malaysia
1 January 2019: RM1,100 for West and East Malaysia
1 February 2020: RM1,200 for major cities
1 May 2022: RM1,500 for major companies and government-linked companies
