PUTRAJAYA, August 2 – The Human Resources Ministry has announced the enforcement of the National Wages Consultative Council (Amendment) Act 2025, which officially extends the RM1,700 minimum wage to apprenticeship contract workers starting today.
This move ensures apprentices under contracts ranging from six to 24 months are entitled to the same wage protections as full-time employees, reinforcing the government’s commitment to fairer labour practices across all job categories.
The ministry also reminded employers not to lower current wages to match the statutory minimum and urged full compliance with the Minimum Wage Order 2024. Employers with fewer than five staff in non-professional sectors must now adhere to the new rate.
With penalties of up to RM10,000 per worker for violations. Kesuma commended businesses already paying apprentices fairly before the law’s enforcement and emphasized continued oversight by labour departments across Malaysia.
