10 hours ago
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Bar Council sets RM1,350 minimum wage for pupils in chambers
In a survey, the Bar Council found that 83% of pupils were already receiving at least RM1,000 a month, with the low-pay phenomenon prevalent among firms outside the Klang Valley.
PETALING JAYA : The Bar Council has set the national minimum wage for pupils in chambers at RM1,350, with the new rate becoming mandatory for law firms in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya beginning April next year.
Firms in other states will be allowed to reach the prescribed minimum sum in phases, beginning with a baseline pay of RM1,000. However, they must raise salaries to at least RM1,200 by 2027, before aligning with the national minimum in 2028.
The council acknowledged that many legal firms, particularly in major urban centres, already pay more than RM1,350, but said it was obliged to set a minimum pay to ensure that pupils do not fall below the poverty line.
The new rates are based on a recommended remuneration framework developed by EconWorks, an economic advisory firm engaged by the Malaysian Bar.
'The rate of minimum remuneration is subject to periodic review. Any adjustment will be announced by the Bar at least 12 months before implementation of the new rate.
'Any increase in the rate should be guided by the average annual increase of the median monthly salary in Malaysia,' the council said in a circular to members issued this week.
In its key findings from the survey, EconWorks said 83% of pupils were already receiving at least RM1,000 a month with the low-pay phenomenon prevalent among firms outside the Klang Valley.
The survey found that lower wages were more prevalent among smaller law firms.
It said most pupils are based in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, where remuneration typically exceeds the minimum income required to meet basic living needs, with some firms paying as high as RM2,500.
The median pupil pay in Johor and Penang was found to be RM1,500.
'In other states, many pupils are still paid below the poverty line income threshold of RM1,000. Law firms in Terengganu and Kelantan pay the lowest, at RM500,' it said, adding that 17% of pupils currently receive under RM1,000 a month.
