By BERNAMA

Caretaker Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Razak promised yesterday to raise the minimum wage this year, if he wins the May 9 general election, adding to a raft of promises to voters as he faces a resurgent Opposition.

Najib’s former mentor Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad now leads an Opposition alliance united in the goal of unseating the prime minister and his Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, which has ruled since the country gained independence from the British in 1957.

Najib told a Labour Day rally that he would raise the minimum wage from the current RM1,000 ringgit per month in Peninsular Malaysia and RM920 in the eastern states of Sabah and Sarawak, if his coalition wins the polls.

“So, if you want the minimum wage rate to be raised, you know what to do. Do we have a deal?” he said to cheers from some 2,000 people gathered at the rally.

Najib also announced RM200 million for a skilled workers programme, an additional RM60 million allocation for an insurance plan for retrenched workers and better maternity benefits for private sector workers.

Najib said this is all part of his administration’s efforts to better the lot of the country’s workers over his nine years in charge.

“If the BN government is a flower, the workers are the stem. Hence, do not be drawn to and drink from another ‘flower’,” he said in a thinly-veiled reference to the logo of Dr Mahathir’s new party.

Campaigning officially kicked off last Saturday, and Najib has since crisscrossed the country, opening new schools, meeting voters, and promising aids and benefits to voters in mostly rural constituencies that form the bedrock of support for his ruling coalition.

This upcoming 14th General Election is arguably the toughest faced by Najib’s undefeated coalition.

Besides the challenge from the 92-year-old Dr Mahathir, Najib is also grappling with a multi-billion dollar scandal at state fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd and anger over rising living costs.

BN is widely expected to retain power, but a weaker majority in the 222-seat Parliament could leave Najib open to an internal leadership challenge.