The Malaysian government will raise the minimum wage from RM 1,500 to RM 1,700, effective February 1, 2025, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Presenting Budget 2025 in the Dewan Rakyat on Friday, Anwar announced that small employers with fewer than five employees will be given a grace period, delaying the implementation of the new wage until August 1, 2025, reports Malaysian daily The Star.
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Anwar, who also holds the position of Finance Minister, added that the Human Resources Ministry will release new guidelines on starting salaries for key professions. These include RM 2,290 for industrial and production technicians, RM3,380 for mechanical engineers, and RM2,985 for professional creative content designers.
In addition, the Prime Minister said the Progressive Wage Policy, introduced in June as a pilot programme, will be fully implemented next year, backed by a RM200 million allocation aimed at benefiting 50,000 workers.
Anwar also announced that RM250 million will be allocated to the People's Income Initiative (IPR) to combat extreme poverty. "Next year, RM250 million will be dedicated to increasing the participation of individuals from the extreme poor group in the IPR programme to improve their income," he said.