SHAH ALAM: The Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Ministry is asking that the government exempt micro entrepreneurs from the RM1,500 minimum wage enforcement from next May as their annual income is below RM300,000 each.
Its minister Tan Sri Noh Omar said many of the micro entrepreneurs were still not financially stable yet as their business operations had just been revived due to the Covid-19 pandemic and floods that hit several areas.
“Previously, many entrepreneurs were affected by implementation of the Movement Control Order, whereby almost 43,000 of them are micro entrepreneurs with about 70 per cent also affected by the floods.
“They’re just beginning to recover and the government has assisted with RM3,000 for each of them (those affected by the floods), so we’re asking the government to consider the matter (minimum wage).”
He said this to the media after the handing-out of the Keluarga Malaysia Entrepreneurs Flood Aid to Sahabat Usahawan Amanah Ikhtiar (AIM), here, today.
Noh said most of the micro entrepreneurs were involved in petty trading and their helpers were usually their own family members, neighbours or village friends.
“They pay their helpers what they can afford but if they are to pay the RM1,500 minimum wage, how are they going to pay them? Their income is just enough for them to survive.
“That is why we are asking the Human Resource Ministry to discuss with my ministry in finding a solution. If there are entrepreneurs who can afford to pay their workers the minimum wage set, we encourage it.” he added.
On the contribution, Noh said 8,859 Sahabat AIM received the one-off aid of RM3,000 each, involving an allocation of RM26.557 million. — Bernama
