The Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) has condemned the government's decision to backtrack on its pledge to enforce a minimum-wages policy for security guards starting July 1.

mtuc cawp water tariff pc 171006 g rajasekaran"This sudden freeze of implementation allows the numerous employers in the country to continue exploiting their workers with a meagre RM300 to RM400 wage a month," said MTUC secretary-general G Rajasekaran (left).

Rajasekaran said that the sudden reversal was against the Human Resource Ministry's National Wages Council's recommendation in 2008 that wages for the estimated 150,000 security guards be set at between RM500 and RM700.

He argued that the Human Resource Minister Dr S Subramaniam's statement that the plan was deferred following appeals from industry players was unfounded.

This was because the ministry had been studying the minimum wage proposal since 2004, and thus industry players had ample opportunity to provide input, said Rajasekaran.

Protecting bumi firms

In April, Subramaniam said minimum wage for security guards would range between RM1,100 and RM1,450 monthly following the enforcement of the new policy.

This was decided by the cabinet as a means of encouraging locals to take up the job to replace foreign security guards, currently estimated to be 40,000 strong.

Previously, Security Services Association of Malaysia president Shaheen Mirza Habib sought a deferment of the plan to prevent 300 bumiputera security services companies from winding up.

Shaheen Mirza said employers need at least six more months to resolve issues involving private firms, government-linked companies and the government.