KOTA BARU: Six cleaners, including a person with disabilities (OKU), have won a lawsuit against a cleaning company that refused to pay the balance of the minium wage as mandated by the government for one year and two months, totalling RM28,500.
Judge Shamsul Bahrin Abdul Manaf made the ruling at the High Court here today, after dismissing an appeal by the cleaning company, Monson Tropical Trading, which had failed to comply with the 2022 Minimum Wage Order (PGM) of RM1,500.
The six respondents, in this case, had been assigned to the Kelantan State Secretary’s office from May 2022 to July 2023.
The respondents are Zuhaida Daud, Mohamad Safuan Zakaria, who is also intellectually disabled, Sharifah Mohamad, Mahani Daud, Mohd Hafizi Mohd Arshad, and Muhammad Nasharudin Samsudin.
Shamsul Bahrin said the government-mandated minimum wage order takes precedence over previous contractual agreements, which are now invalid.
“The government’s wage order is meant to provide maximum protection for workers.
“In this regard, the court orders the appellant to pay the remaining RM28,500 in wages to the six employees in accordance with the government-mandated minimum wage,” he said.
The six respondents were represented by lawyer Nik Saiful Adli Burhan, while Monson Tropical Trading was represented by lawyer Muhammad Habil Zainal Abidin.
Previously, a total of 15 complainants, led by Zuhaida, had filed claims for unpaid wages against Monson Tropical Trading at the Kota Baru Labour Office on May 15 last year.
The complainants, employed by the defendant as cleaners assigned to the Kelantan State Secretary’s office building, claimed that their last basic salary was RM1,200 per month, with their final working day on July 31, 2023.
However, only six respondents came forward to give evidence at the Labour Office.
The Labour Department director-general approved claims for the outstanding minimum wages of RM28,500 to all the complainants at the conclusion of the case.
Monson Tropical Trading, dissatisfied with the Labour Office’s decision, appealed to the High Court, which today ruled in favour of the six cleaners.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
