PH MP says Pas preschool teacher salaries violate minimum wage law
Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (PH-Setiawangsa) said the justification that Pusat Asuhan Tunas Islam (Pasti) teachers were volunteers was unacceptable, as it contradicts the National Wages Consultative Council (Amendment) Act 2025.
He added that the practice also denied the teachers contributions to the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and Social Security Organisation (Perkeso).
"If the volunteer excuse is used, every company could simply claim their workers are volunteers, thus not subject to the minimum wage order," he said during the debate on the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) in the Dewan Rakyat today.
In response, Mohd Syahir Che Sulaiman (PN-Bachok) said that although the teachers' salaries are low, other allowances were provided despite them working only four hours a day.
He then asked if Nik Nazmi agreed that Pasti helps reduce the government's fiscal burden since it does not use public funds.
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