The minimum wage (MW) policy has long been a contentious social policy tool. Despite this, most countries have some form of MW policy. In ASEAN, most of the definitions and purposes of the policy are a balance of protecting the workers’ welfare (i.e., protection of the low-skilled and low-earners from unduly low pay) and ensuring that the country’s economic goals and targets are being achieved. Meanwhile, the coverage and mechanisms vary. While there is no consensus on the “right” mechanism to make the MW policy work, best practices and learnings from international experience can still provide valuable insights on how to improve the effectiveness of the policy. Enhancements in terms of clarifying the objectives of the MW policy, improving transparency in the adjustments process, conducting regular reviews and assessments to ensure the relevance of the MW, strengthening collective bargaining mechanisms, and deepening the capacity of enforcers, among others, are some of the ways through which the policy can be modified. As the body of literature examining the effects of the policy abounds, the contention on the usefulness of the MW policy has largely become an empirical question rather than a theoretical one. This stresses the importance of grounding policy modifications – whether it be in terms of the actual level, coverage, purpose, or adjustment mechanism – to an up-to-date, evidence-based approach.