Annuar: PH manifesto on minimum wage a populist move

KUALA LUMPUR: The opposition’s manifesto on minimum wage is a populist approach to win votes.

Umno Information chief Tan Sri Annuar Musa said when Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was prime minister, he had never agreed with the proposal, saying that by doing so, the minimum wage would continuously increase and would result in higher (operating) costs.

“During Dr Mahathir’s administration, he would reject any proposal to set a minimum wage. To him, if we started setting a minimum wage, it would continuously increase and result in higher (operating) costs.

“When he agrees with the Pakatan Harapan (PH) manifesto to set a minimum wage, I feel that this is a populist move, because everyone wants a high salary,” he said during a question-and-answer session on “Why the opposition announced their manifesto early”, which was organised by Umno Online yesterday.

Present were Rompin member of parliament Datuk Hassan Ariffin, Jerantut MP Datuk Ahmad Nazlan and Felda Malaysia Youth Council president Muhammad Fadzli Hassan.

Annuar touched on the opposition’s manifesto involving the repayment of National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) loans that it wanted to abolish.

“The financing scheme was implemented during Dr Mahathir’s time.

“At that time, there were many students enrolling in universities.

“So, if a scholarship scheme is still in place, there would be students who receive scholarships and many who don’t.”