Should Malaysian companies be legally required to publish salary ranges? Unpopular opinion: yes

I know this is controversial. Here's my case.

Pay transparency reduces negotiation disadvantage for people who are less confident negotiators — which research consistently shows disproportionately affects women and certain ethnic groups. In countries where pay range disclosure is mandatory (Colorado, UK for gender pay gaps, parts of the EU), it has narrowed gaps.

The counter-argument is that it creates internal conflict when existing employees see ranges they weren't offered. That's a real concern — but the solution is to fix the internal inequity, not hide the information.

Malaysia's talent market suffers from significant salary opacity. Candidates have almost no information leverage. Companies benefit asymmetrically from this.

What's the actual downside to disclosure that isn't just "it's uncomfortable for companies"?