Set minimum wage at RM1,500, says PKR on Zahid’s dirty jobs dare

Putrajaya should increase minimum wage to RM1,500, said PKR, responding to Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's call on Malaysian youths to take up dirty and dangerous jobs to help Malaysia reduce its dependency on migrant workers. PKR Youth vice-chief Fahmi Fadzil said it was clear that the home minister failed to realise the real reasons local youths shied away from "3D" jobs, or jobs considered dirty, difficulty and dangerous. Apart from raising the minimum wage to RM1,500 a month, he said the government must also ensure that rights of employees were protected by strengthening workers' unions. Fahmi also urged Zahid to ensure a vocational education system and to offer incentives to funders and employers as well as youths to take over jobs currently monopolised by foreign workers. He added this could be in the form of grants to improve technological systems used in the various industries. "Without doing all these, he is just making a rhetorical statement with no sincere  intention to help youths take over jobs from foreign labour," Fahmi said in a statement. Earlier today, Zahid issued a challenge to youths to take up jobs in sectors currently dominated by foreign workers, as the debate continued on the need to bring in 1.5 million Bangladeshi workers over the next three years. Speaking at the Selangor Youth Council's 32nd annual general assembly in Shah Alam, Zahid asked those at the function if they wanted to work in sectors, such as plantation and heavy industries, to which he received a resounding "yes". "Do all of you, the youth, agree to work in oil palm estates? "I ask the youths now, whether all of you agree to work under the hot sun at construction sites to build houses? "I ask now, if you all agree to sweat in factories? Sweep the roads and clean the drains?" Those present replied "yes" to all his questions. This  prompted Zahid to ask the council president, Datuk Irmohizam Ibrahim, who is also Kuala Selangor MP, to sign up all the 1,000 youths who attended the general assembly for 3D-related jobs. – February 14, 2016.]]>