Govt striving to find funds to cover salary adjustment of private sector workers - PM

KUALA TERENGGANU - The government is working on finding funds to cover some of the payment for the salary adjustment of workers in the private sector, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today.

He said not many countries do this but the Unity Government will always think about the methods and its implementation.

"Leaders must be sensitive and concerned about the problems faced by the people and the salary adjustment for the public service, which is being carried out, has yet to be done in the private sector.

"Factory workers, what is their fate? For example, factories make billions of ringgit in profits but salaries have yet to reach the minimum wage. So, our decision is to find new methods and mechanisms to ensure workers’ salaries are increased,” he said.

Anwar said this in his speech at a meeting with entrepreneurs at Dewan Konvensyen Taman Tamadun Islam in Kuala Terengganu today.

As for the public sector salary adjustment, Anwar said he will announce the decision for the new wage and salary rate either in the 2024 Madani Budget or early next year, while more specific allocations for entrepreneurs will also be announced in the Budget.

Meanwhile, Anwar said the country also relied on small and medium entrepreneurs in efforts to expand the Madani economy.

"It is related to the (issue) of eradicating poverty. Programmes need to be drawn up so that this group is not marginalised... and it requires a clear political commitment," he said.

Anwar said that during this period of state elections, many parties, especially the opposition, brought up various issues but when they had power, they did not do much.

"Among them are they did not increase the allocation for Tekun and did not resolve the rice subsidy problem. We have been attacked in this manner in the past eight months," he said.

Anwar said the Unity Government had introduced a two-year five-season rice production initiative and yesterday he announced an increase of the Padi Price Subsidy Scheme (SSHP) rate from RM360 to RM500 per tonne of padi production.

Also present at the event was Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Datuk Ewon Benedick. - BERNAMA