According to the Statistics Department, a majority of fresh graduates entering the job market last year received an estimated monthly salary of between RM1,001 and RM1,500, compared with the average RM2,001 to RM2,500 recorded in 2019.

In a statement, the Bagan MP took aim at human resources minister M Saravanan, stating that he is supposed to enforce minimum wages rather than tell graduates it’s better to accept low-wage work than to be unemployed.

“Economics minister Mustapa Mohamed is more hard-hearted, saying that graduates with RM1,000 per month jobs should be grateful to have a job. This is derisory and derogatory of job seekers, especially graduates.

“No graduate would be grateful to a government that has failed to create new jobs and caused unemployment to rise to 4.9% in January 2021, with youth unemployment at a record 13.5%.”

Lim said the comments by both Saravanan and Mustapa contradicted the National Wages Consultative Council Act 2011, which imposes a RM10,000 fine on companies for each employee earning less than the mandated minimum.

“Ministers must help employees receive at least the minimum wage, not aid and abet employers paying less than this.”

He added that with the national poverty line revised to RM2,208 last year, ensuring employers respect the minimum wage standards is of utmost importance.

“The Perikatan Nasional-led government is not only rolling back the labour reforms carried out by the previous Pakatan Harapan government, but they are also oppressing workers’ rights by refusing to respect the statutory minimum wage.”

In the 2020 budget, the minimum wage was raised by the Pakatan Harapan government to RM1,200 a month for major urban centres, with the minimum in other parts of the country remaining at RM1,100.