The National Wage Council of Malaysia is set to meet to revise the Minimum Wage Level which is presently set at RM1,700 and while employers are apprehensive, employees believe it is about time to increase the minimum wage level.

Given the prevailing realities, the fact that the cost of living expenses is soaring, most people find it difficult to cope with stagnant wages and no increments or bonuses or any kind of perks and benefits for their hard work and industry.

Bread-and-butter issues are a hot topic in this country as many Malaysians find they cannot make ends meet, while, possibly worse is the fact that many more people, especially youth, find themselves in the ranks of the unemployed.

There must be, in place, a more comprehensive mechanism when it comes to paying the wages and salaries of workers who actually form the backbone of the Malaysian economy and therefore they and their families must receive due support.

Not only should the government look into the wages and salaries of workers, there must also be a due diligence exercise done to ensure conducive working environments for all categories of workers and not just the public sector.

Other issues concerning the role of human capital in this country include training and motivating and offering incentives and skills development for them to excel and continue to keep moving forward towards a brighter, better future.

-THE MALAYSIA VOICE