KUALA LUMPUR: Opposition leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin has warned that exempting micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) from the RM2,000 minimum wage could create a two-tier workforce.
He said exempting businesses with annual revenue below RM50 million could leave their employees earning RM1,700, while those working for larger companies would receive at least RM2,000.
The disparity, he said, could drive workers away from smaller businesses to better-paying employers.
"An employer may tell his worker, 'I'm sorry, I cannot raise your salary to RM2,000 because the government has exempted companies earning below RM50 million, and mine falls under that category.'
