IPOH: Business owners here have greeted the decision to raise the minimum wage with open arms but warn that some prices may be increased.

       They say they believe the rise is justified, considering the hike on the price of daily essentials and other bills.

       Cafe owner Emerul Fareez Mohd Nazeri, 32, said he wouldn’t mind implementing the new minimum wage provided that customers are okay with price hikes.

       “I have two employees who work six days a week and are paid above the current minimum wage for their basic salary. Most of the time, their salary exceed the RM1,500 bracket, depending on the sales we made.

       “However, if the government wants to implement the new rate for minimum wage, I might need to increase the prices on our menu as it will add to our monthly cost,” he added.

       Emerul Fareez, who started his business last year, said customers must be prepared for a price hike.

       “As a business owner, I need to think about our cost and that includes purchasing ingredients and other materials.

       “Setting the minimum wage to RM1,500 is doable for me, but I will need to revise some other plans I have for my business, including expanding our cafe to several outlets,” he said.

       On Saturday, Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan reportedly said that a new minimum wage set around RM1,500 would be introduced by the year end.

       He said although the rate had yet to be fixed, he was confident it could be achieved after getting the necessary approval from the Cabinet.

       In November 2021, Deputy Human Resources Minister Datuk Awang Hashim told the Dewan Rakyat that a study by the ministry through the National Wages Consultative Council on minimum wage would be presented in early 2022.

       The last review, carried out in 2020, saw the minimum wage raised from RM1,100 to RM1,200.

       Meanwhile, a computer repair shop owner who wished to be known only as Ricky also believes that the minimum wage is necessary due to the hike in grocery prices.“We have about five employees whom we pay between RM1,800 and RM2,500 depending on their workload. They also receive travelling allowances and overtime pay.

       “I strongly agree with the suggestion to increase the minimum wage because this will also encourage those who are unemployed to apply for jobs.

       “The current minimum wage is too low, especially for those with families. They need to pay bills, food and have some emergency savings,” he said, adding that he would increase his staff’s salary as well in the future.

       “During the pandemic, we paid our staff salary in full for a few months even though we had to close our shop,” he said.

       Ricky added that although other business owners might disagree with the raise, it was only logical.

       “From the pandemic, I learned how important it is to be kind to one another and try to help out in any way possible.

       “I might be the business owner, but without my staff, I wouldn’t have anything. So, it is only right to pay them well, and if we can make more revenue, I don’t mind paying them extra,” he said.