Malaysian Co Supports Thai-Malaysia Minimum Wage

By Jamaluddin Muhammad AYUTTHAYA (Thailand), May 4 (Bernama) – When Century Logistics Holdings Berhad said their workers in Thailand and Malaysia were the company's main asset, they really meant it by rewarding them with handsome salaries. The company has no problem in fulfilling the minimum wage requirement set by Thailand and Malaysia recently. The company's Deputy Managing Director Dr Mohamed Amin Kassim said almost all of its 628 staff in Malaysia enjoy a monthly salary of more than US$296.08 (RM900), except for 70 lorry attendants who earn a basic pay of RM450. "Despite their small basic salary, lorry attendants can receive between RM2,500 and RM3,000 a month when coupled with allowances and incentives," he said. However, the company will adjust their minimum wage to RM900 a month following the new minimum wage of RM900 set by the Malaysian government for private sector workers in Peninsular Malaysia and RM800 for Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan. For the first time, on April 30, Malaysia introduced a minimum wage which will take effect six months after the new regulation is gazetted. "We can't tell the world that our workers are our main asset without rewarding them appropriately and Malaysia is no longer seen as a destination for cheap labour as the country is moving towards a high income nation," he said. Dr Mohamed Amin believed overall the new measure would not make a big impact on the company's profit margin. In his general view on the minimum wage, he said: "If directors in big companies can enjoy a big fat salary of RM100,000 a month, why can't their staff earn a minimum RM900 salary." He said his company would need to look into the payroll of other workers not affected by the minimum wage policy to see whether a salary adjustment was needed for them too. In Thailand, all its four workers at its subsidiary, Century Resources (Thailand) Ltd are enjoying a more than US$9.69 (300 Baht) daily wage. Thailand has increased its minimum wage to US$9.69 daily starting April 1 in seven provinces including Bangkok and will extend it throughout the country starting Jan 1 next year. Dr Mohamed Amin said the new minimum wage in Malaysia would put additional cost to their workers' Employees Provident Fund contributions, the company's contribution to the National Human Resources Training Fund and the workers' insurance. However, he believes his company would not face difficulties in meeting these needs. He was optimistic that the new minimum wage in Malaysia and Thailand would further enhance productivity as workers felt encouraged when they are appreciated. Century Logistics Holding Berhad, the leading provider of value-added supply chain solutions and total logistics services, also operates in China, Singapore, India, Sri Lanka and Dubai apart from Malaysia and Thailand. (US$1 = RM3.03, US1 = 30.95 Baht) -- BERNAMA