Malaysian PM vows minimum wage hike ahead of general election
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has pledged to raise the minimum wage this year if he wins the general election on May 9, adding to a range of promises to voters as he faces a resurgent opposition.
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak (Photo: AFP/VNA)
Kuala Lumpur (VNA) - Malaysian Prime Minister NajibRazak has pledged to raise the minimum wage this year if he wins the generalelection on May 9, adding to a range of promises to voters as he faces aresurgent opposition.
PM Najib told a Labour Day rally on May 1 that hewould raise the minimum wage from the current 1,000 ringgit (255 USD) per monthin peninsular Malaysia and 920 ringgit in the eastern states of Sabah andSarawak, if his coalition wins the polls.
The Malaysian PM also announced 200 million ringgitfor a skilled workers programme, an additional 60 million ringgit allocation foran insurance plan for retrenched workers and better maternity benefits forprivate sector workers.
He said this was all part of his administration'sefforts to better the lot of the country's workers over his nine years incharge.
On April 6, PM Najib declared the dissolution of the parliamentto pave the way for the general election.
The upcoming general election is arguably the toughestfaced by Najib's undefeated coalition which has ruled the country since 1957.
Besides challenges from 92-year-old ex-Prime Minister MohamadMahathir, who now leads an opposition alliance united in the goal of unseatingthe PM and his Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, Najib is also grappling with amulti-billion dollar scandal at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB)and anger over rising living costs.-VNA
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has launched an election campaign for the upcoming general election, with a series of promising commitments to bringing a better future for Malaysian people.
The Election Commission (EC) of Malaysia said on April 10 that the general election will be held on May 9, in what could be the toughest test of the ruling coalition's 61-year grip on power.
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Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak (Photo: AFP/VNA) 
