KUALA LUMPUR: A government backbencher yesterday took to task Deputy Human Resources Minister Datuk Noraini Ahmad for giving what he described as a “meaningless answer” in the Dewan Rakyat.

Datuk Mohamad Aziz (BN-Sri Gading) said that Noraini’s answer was long-winded but offered little to resolve the unemployment woes among the locals.

“The answer is long but short of meaning. This country is said to be a haven for foreign workers but hell for our own people; the answer resolves nothing,” he said when interjecting Noraini, who was replying to a question from Aaron Ago Dagang (BN-Kanowit), during question time.

Mohamad said that the government should fight for the people and provide them with minimum wages at a rate higher than the poverty line income.

Aaron wanted to know the steps taken by the government to counter allegations that it was not serious in looking into the minimum wage issue.

Earlier when replying to Aaron, Noraini said there were 10 wages councils set up between 2006 and 2008 which safeguard the interests of 1.33 million workers nationwide.

The councils, among other things, catered to private security guards in the peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak; private clinical assistance in the peninsula and Sabah; and general plantation workers in Sabah and Sarawak.

“The government also encourages employers to introduce performance-based wages to ensure competitiveness and work quality,” she said.

— Bernama