00:00RM10,908 is the monthly income of a nurse working in Singapore,
00:08which is about 4.4 times higher than the salary for the same job in Malaysia.
00:15Because of this salary gap, at least 1.86 million Malaysians have emigrated abroad
00:23since 50 years ago to look for a better job with a better salary.
00:28On average, as many as 37,200 Malaysians are highly skilled in making decisions to leave the country every year,
00:37showing once again that Malaysia is facing a serious brain drain problem.
00:42So the government needs to take action.
00:45When the budget for 2025 was announced at the National Assembly,
00:49Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced
00:51that the minimum wage will be increased from RM1,500 to RM1,700 per month starting in February.
00:59This increase may seem small for some,
01:03but for 600,000 Malaysians earning RM1,500 or less,
01:09an additional RM200 per month can make a big difference.
01:14It gives an opportunity to save for the future,
01:17enjoy better food, or for recreational spending.
01:22However, there are challenges in increasing the minimum wage.
01:25Nurse workers need to find a way to cope with the rapid increase in costs
01:30while ensuring an increase in productivity.
01:34Without better job opportunities,
01:36businesses may not have a choice.
01:38In addition to increasing the price to cope with costs,
01:41it can also contribute to inflation.
01:44Pujarajaya has allocated millions of ringgit in 2025 spending
01:49to avoid this scenario from happening.
01:52For example, RM400 million has been allocated to PKS
01:57who want to practice digitalization or automation in their operations.
02:03In addition, there is an incentive to pay and fund up to RM100 million
02:08to local suppliers in the high-value and large-scale sector.
02:14Minimum wages need to be saved generously
02:16to reflect the current economic situation.
02:19However, the question is whether local companies
02:22are able to increase productivity
02:25in line with the increase in wages to avoid rising prices.
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