KUALA LUMPUR, March 19 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that Malaysia will implement the RM1,500 minimum wage starting May 1 during his winding-up speech at the Umno General Assembly.

"Today, I would like to announce in this hallowed hall that the government has approved the implementation of the new minimum wage rate of RM1,500 per month from May 1, 2022 for the entire country.

"However, the Human Resources Ministry will hold discussions with Tan Sri Noh Omar’s Entrepreneur Development and Cooperative Ministry to allow small and micro companies to postpone the implementation of the minimum wage, as they might not have the ability to pay,” he said to applause from Umno delegates here today.

Apart from the minimum wage, Ismail Sabri also announced several measures fought for by Umno.

This included the revelation that the government paid an RM1.5 million ex-gratia compensation on November 29 last year to the family of firefighter Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim who died in 2018.

"Even though investigations are still underway, I wish to announce something that was not made public before, and that is the government’s ex-gratia compensation payment of RM1.5 million to Adib’s family.

"This is proof of Umno’s efforts and concerns in defending the people,” he said to cheers from delegates.

Adib succumbed to injuries sustained while on duty during riots near the Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in Subang Jaya, Selangor in 2018.

Umno and PAS had accused the Pakatan Harapan government of mishandling the issue.

In another well-received announcement, Ismail Sabri said that foreign students studying in Malaysia would be required to learn Bahasa Malaysia.

"I have discussed it with the higher education minister (Wanita Umno chief Datuk Seri Noraini Ahmad), and she agreed to make it compulsory for all foreign students in the country to learn Bahasa Malaysia,” he said.

He also announced that as a result, the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) Act would be amended to include enforcement powers.