Don’t repeat past mistakes, Jerit tells Pakatan
Workers are furious that Pakatan has rejected its ‘reasonable’ floor wage proposal of RM1,500.
Anisah Shukry, FMT
Non-governmental organisation Jaringan Rakyat Tertindas (Jerit) has flayed Pakatan Rakyat for using “lame excuses” and “unsound judgment” in rejecting Malaysian workers’ recent RM1,500 minimum wage proposal.
Jerit said Pakatan’s outright rejection of the RM1,500 minimum wage was “not of sound judgment or justified”, especially since the Wold Bank Report was prepared on the advice of the Malaysian government and classified as “not for citation”.
“The PKR director of strategy Rafizi Ramli’s sudden dependence on the World Bank Report, a document used by the BN government, is really baffling us,” Jerit said in a statement today.
On Sunday, more than 20 workers’ union under the coalition of the Malaysian Workers Network (MWN) had proposed a monthly a minimum wage of RM1,500 ahead of the 13th general election.
But the following day, several Pakatan leaders told FMT the figure was not applicable for the time being and maintained that the floor wage should be set at RM1,100.
Citing the classified World Bank report, Rafizi had said anything higher than the rate Pakatan had proposed in its alternative budget would have an adverse impact on the economy.
PAS MP Dzulkefly Ahmad also told FMT that RM1,500 would not be sustainable as it would be counter-productive to workers.
But Jerit today questioned whether Pakatan had truly done its research before making such statements, and cited the nation’s per capita income as proof that RM1,500 was reasonable.
“Taking into account the income per capita figure which is RM RM26, 420 per year per Malaysian citizen, which means each Malaysian roughly should be taking home RM2,291 as a wage, the demand for RM1,500 minimum wage is very reasonable and has a basis,” said Jerit
“Thus, for PKR to reject outright the RM1,500 demand for minimum wage without knowing the rationale of the workers is akin to the pot [PKR] calling the cattle [BN] black.”
Jerit was referring to the fact that Pakatan has continuously slammed BN for setting the country’s minimum wage at RM900 for the peninsula and RM800 for Sabah and Sarawak.
Jerit also cited Indonesia as an example that implementing a minimum wage of RM1,500 was possible.
“Indonesia, our neighbouring country, just in November 2012 gave its minimum wage a 40% increase from 1.5 million rupiah [about RM472] to 2.2 million rupiah [about RM692],” said Jerit.
“Even then, the Jakarta Globe on Nov 6, 2012 reported that ‘despite hefty minimum wage increases across the country next year, Indonesia remains an attractive destination for foreign companies due to the solid pace of its economic growth, global banks UBS and Deutsche Bank say.’.”
RM 1,500 not viable?
Jerit also questioned whether “Rafizi and the Pakatan leadership” were aware of the rakyat’s cost of living and whether Pakatan’s proposed minimum wage of RM1,100 would suffice.
