KUALA LUMPUR, July 25 – As many as 118 employers have been found in breach of the Minimum Wages Order 2022 since it came into effect on May 1 this year, Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan said today.

However, he added that none of them have been charged as yet.

"As of June 30, the department has received 157 complaints with regards to the Minimum Wages Order, and results of the investigation showed that 118 employers did not adhere to the Order.

"Advice has been given to the employers to follow the Minimum Wages Order 2022. If they still do not do so, legal action will be taken against them,” he told Parit Buntar MP Datuk Seri Mujahid Yusof Rawa during Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat.

Saravanan said his ministry through the Department of Labour of Peninsular Malaysia has been conducting random checks on employers since the Minimum Wage Order kicked in.

He disclosed that 20,452 checks had been made up to June 30.

He added that in June alone, 3,049 premises nationwide were checked.

However, Saravanan said that the statistics of employers complying with the Order are not fully ready yet as it has just been implemented.

The Minimum Wages Order 2022 was published in a federal government gazette on April 27, setting Malaysia’s new minimum wage rate to RM1,500 from RM1,200.

The exception is for employers with fewer than five staff members who will only be legally required to start paying at least RM1,500 from January next year.