00:00In the last 50 years, at least 1.86 million Malaysians have moved abroad in pursuit of
00:07a career with better wages.
00:09This means that an average of 37,200 highly skilled Malaysians choose to uproot their
00:15lives in search of better opportunities every year, proving once again that the nation is
00:20facing a serious brain drain.
00:23The federal government is well aware of this persisting issue, and it is actively trying
00:27to change things around.
00:29Last year, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that the minimum wage would be bumped up from
00:33RM1,500 to RM1,700 per month starting next month.
00:39But raising the minimum wage does not come without challenges.
00:43Employers now must find ways to meet the hike in labor costs and at the same time ensure
00:48that there is an increase in productivity.
00:50Without improving efficiency, businesses may have no choice but to increase their prices
00:55to offset the costs, further fueling the ever-worrying trend of inflation.
01:00Having anticipated this dilemma, Puja Jaya has allocated millions under the 2025 budget
01:05to help businesses increase their productivity.
01:09While there is no doubt that the national minimum wage needs to be reviewed periodically,
01:13companies must also strike a balance between increasing salaries and enhancing productivity
01:18to avoid contributing to the cost-of-living crisis.
01:21Natasha Bius, FMT News.
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