COMMENT | Malaysia has been dealing with a low-wage problem for far too long. Salaries have increased over time, but the gap between those at the bottom and those at the top remains wide.

In March 2026, the bottom 10 percent of formal workers earned RM1,700 or less a month, while those in the top 10 percent earned at least RM11,500. This is not simply about inflation or the latest minimum wage.

It reflects an economic structure that depended for too long on cheap labour, weak productivity growth and uneven income distribution. Much of this structure was built during decades of BN rule.

The governments that came after inherited problems that cannot be fixed within a single term. But at some point, history can no longer be used as an excuse. The government of the day still has to find a way to raise people’s incomes without destroying the businesses that provide those jobs.

That is why the Malaysian Trades Union Congress proposal to raise the minimum wage to RM3,100 deserves...