He said the government’s approach to dealing with the cost of living issue was to focus on the people’s income, Bernama reported.

“We will start a progressive wage pilot project, while an increment in the wages for civil servants has already been announced by the government.

“The current administration is focused on the issue of wages but this needs to involve all stakeholders, including employees, employers, the ability of the government and the economy to absorb any salary-related decision,” he said in Putrajaya.

He said the minimum wage discussion was the responsibility of the national wage consultative council, adding that the process was ongoing.

Rafizi also said the human resources ministry would bring the matter for the government’s consideration when the time comes.

On May 8, Unicef released its report “Living on the Edge”, which called for a minimum wage of RM2,102 a month, taking into account key factors, such as the cost of living, poverty line and productivity.