Kathmandu, Sept. 30 -- The debate over raising wages for low-income workers in Malaysia, a major employment destination for Nepalis, is no longer limited to how high the minimum wage should go. A key question now is whether employers alone should bear the additional cost of a wage hike or whether the government should share the burden with businesses.

Malaysia is currently debating whether to raise the minimum wage from the existing level of 1,700 ringgit to 2,000 ringgit or 3,100 ringgit.

Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Steven Sim said on Wednesday that businesses should not be made to bear the full burden of a wage increase. He said the government should help small and medium-sized enterprises improve productivity a...