E-wages system to monitor salary payments in real-time - Saravanan

Its minister, Datuk Seri M. Saravanan said this was to ensure that salary payments would be made before the seventh day of each month as stipulated under the Employment Act 1955.

“At present, there is no mechanism within the job market to monitor the payment of salaries to workers in the country.

“The implementation of e-Wages will ensure transparency and avoid any manipulation by employers in the payment of salaries to their employees,” he said in a statement here, today.

Saravanan said the implementation of this system would indirectly ensure the rights and welfare of workers are taken care of, besides protecting the image and credibility of the country, especially in the aspect of foreign workers employment.

Commenting on the recent suicide incident involving a foreign worker following allegations that he did not receive his salary for five months, Saravanan said such a tragedy should have never happened in the labour market, especially when the country is facing an economic and health crisis following the COVID-19 pandemic.

He stressed that the ministry through the Labour Department (JTK) would investigate the incident thoroughly and that appropriate action would be taken against the employer involved if the allegations were found to be true.

Yesterday, the media reported that the JTK was investigating the allegations that a company had not paid the salary of a Pakistani worker for five months, before he was found dead at a construction site on April 17.