Ex Dap Mp Pans Guan Eng Over Unbecoming No Minimum Wage Idea

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A senior DAP member has taken party adviser Lim Guan Eng to task over his remarks in the Dewan Rakyat that there is no need to mandate a minimum wage or Employees Provident Fund (EPF) contributions for existing migrant workers.
ADSFormer Klang MP Charles Santiago described the Bagan MP’s comments as “unbecoming of a leader of a social democratic party”.
“It’s unbecoming of a leader who pretends to champion the working class while denying the most basic social protections to those who do the dirtiest, dangerous, hardest, most essential work just because they weren’t born here,” he told Malaysiakini.
“In fact, you have just revealed how comfortable you are with a system built on cheap, disposable labour,” said the former chairperson of Asean Parliamentarians for Human Rights.
In his debate on the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) in Parliament, Lim claimed that Malaysia is not bound by any United Nations or International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions, and therefore need not impose a RM1,700 minimum wage or two percent EPF contribution on migrant workers already in employment.
Lim had said the wage floor and EPF contribution should only apply to new foreign hires, as employers had engaged existing workers under different terms.
Former DAP MP Charles SantiagoMalaysia had, in March 2023, imposed a freeze on the issuance of new migrant worker hiring quotas.
It was previously reported that there were 2,368,422 migrant workers in Malaysia as of December 2024, representing 14 percent of Malaysia’s total labour force.
No discrimination
Charles countered that labour policy should not discriminate between local and migrant workers, or between new and existing hires.
“This is also a transgression of ILO’s principle of equal treatment for migrant workers in terms of wages, meaning they should receive no less favourable treatment than locals in similar positions,” he said.
Malaysia, as an ILO member, has ratified eight out of 10 fundamental conventions, including one on “equal remuneration”.
The 1951 convention states protection against wage discrimination based on sex, but Charles also cited broader protections under the Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention 1958, which Malaysia has also ratified.
ADSCasual dismissal
PSM deputy chairperson S ArutchelvanSeparately, PSM deputy chairperson S Arutchelvan reminded Lim that Malaysia has ratified three other related conventions:
ILO Convention No 100 (1951): Mandates “equal pay for work of equal value - regardless of nationality”
ILO Convention No 111 (1958): Prohibits discrimination based on “national extraction” (explicitly covering foreign workers)
ILO Convention No 143 (1975): Requires equal treatment for migrants in wages and working conditions.
“Yet, Lim casually dismisses these standards, arguing ‘we are not bound by UN and ILO conventions’.
“This hypocrisy is staggering, especially after years of government efforts to align with ILO standards,” said Arutchelvan.
“Looks like DAP looks up to everything PAP’s Singapore does, including lower human rights and workers’ rights standards,” he claimed in reference to Lim’s argument that Singapore has not required Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions for migrant workers since 2003 without repercussions from the ILO.
Missing the point
Migrant rights activist Adrian Pereira said many overlook the ILO’s tripartite structure involving governments, employers, and workers in drafting standards by consensus.
“So it is ridiculous to now come and say we don’t want to follow the conventions. There are conventions that talk about equality and anti-forced labour.
“Lim is definitely missing the point to propose that workers are paid less or not given equal benefits.
“It shows an absolutely outdated worldview on what is justice,” said the North-South Initiative executive director when contacted.
Pereira warned that discriminatory policies could worsen forced labour indicators, potentially triggering trade sanctions or restrictions on Malaysia.
Migrant rights activist Adrian PereiraWithout a minimum wage, he said, migrant workers may be subjected to longer hours and harsher conditions just to earn a living.
“So it is not about whether ILO asks us to do it or not, it is about doing the right thing,” he added.
Both the new minimum wage and two percent contribution from employers of migrant workers and their employees were announced as part of Budget 2025, with the new contributions set to start in October this year.- Mkini

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