
Joint media statement by Pakatan Rakyat Policy Committee on 16th January 2013 in Kuala Lumpur
Pakatan Rakyat understands the concerns of the small and medium entrepreneur industries (SMEs) especially in the context of the implementation of minimum wage policy and calls on the Barisan Nasional Federal Government to do more for the SMEs.
Pakatan Rakyat reiterates its support for the minimum wage policy as one of the policies to upgrade the economy from a labour-intensive to a skill-based one with a reduced number of unskilled foreign workers.
We believe that the minimum wage will help to dismantle Malaysian workers from the low and middle-income trap, eventually propelling and upgrading ourselves to achieve greater social mobility and opportunity in the long run.
The ultimate objective is to create a virtuous circle of high skill, high productivity and high income.
But the minimum wage policy must not be implemented in isolation without any help to struggling SMEs to cope with the transition.
In the new Malaysian economy that Pakatan Rakyat envisages, amongst others,
Strong political will and a “whole-of-government” commitment by the Barisan Nasional Federal Government is needed to help the SMEs in this transition.
Pakatan Rakyat recommends short term measures like the following to aid the transition:
Pakatan Rakyat aspires to create a humane economy that is high growth, high skill, high productivity and high income, which will eventually produce a “win-win” outcome for both employers and employees. The minimum wage is the basic entry point that will therefore provide for a level of dignity to the labour force in our country.
Issued by
Rafizi Ramli, Director of Strategy, Parti KeADILan Rakyat
Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad, Executive Director, PAS Research Centre, Parti Islam Se-Malaysia
Liew Chin Tong, Political Education Director, Democratic Action Party
To all Malaysians who created the GE14 miracle, keep fighting. We will be back stronger.