KUALA LUMPUR, March 7 — Malaysian youths were thrown a challenge by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi last month to take up jobs in sectors currently dominated by foreign workers.
The debate rages on over the need to bring in foreign labour to fill the void in the difficult, dirty and dangerous (3D) jobs sector as it is generally believed that youths, especially those who are driven and well-educated, do not want take up 3D jobs. Malay Mail’s Dhivya Suresh, however, discovered things are not always how they seem.
Despite earning a degree in international economics from Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), Saravana Kumar, 24, does not mind getting paid RM50 a day working as a carpenters apprentice.
According to Saravana, the job is not easy.
The hours are long and the tasks are back-breaking.
“I get paid daily and there is no Employees Provident Fund benefits or insurance coverage,” he said.
However, Saravana is optimistic as he sees this as an investment of his time in learning a new trade.
“I don’t mind the low pay because this is a completely new field for me and I have only just started learning the basics,” he said.
From wood-cutting to site visits, a typical workday for Saravana would be a combination of manual labour and customer service.
“My job is to take orders from my boss. He is a master carpenter with over 30 years of experience — what he says, goes.
“I usually cut all the wood according to requirement, sand it down and help out with whatever needs to be done,” he said.
Having a degree definitely has its perks because Saravana plays a vital role in helping his employers market their business and handle customers.
“My bosses are carpentry specialists but they are illiterate, that’s where my education background comes to great help,” he said.
Before deciding on carpentry, Saravana had tried his hand at many different jobs, including working as a sales associate for a telecommunications company.
“I have done a lot of jobs like photography, graphic designing and product sales.”
Saravana said Malaysian youths have to come out of the mindset that labour intensive jobs are beneath them.
“We are taught since young that a degree means success, but universities are just creating robots. They should focus more on developing skill sets,” he said.
Saravana also said the government should focus on changing the mindset of the younger generation towards hard labour.
“Most Malaysians avoid these jobs because of the stigma related to it; that it’s not respectable. We should change that, raise wages and create safe working environments with health and safety benefits,” he added.
Pest exterminator
Much like Saravana, Virender Singh, 23, did not shy away from hard labour despite having pursued a diploma in business.
His ambition to run a successful business one day is what drove him to join a pest control company as an odd-job worker.
“If you want to start a business, you need to know the ins and outs of the industry. You need to learn from the bottom up,” Virender said.
From space fumigation to clearing rodent breeding grounds, he gets his hands dirty with all kinds of pest extermination.
“This job revolves very much around pesticides and chemicals, so it is definitely a health risk but we just have to be careful,” he said.
“I am willing to do anything around here. I don’t mind being a van driver, customer service consultant and shop maintenance worker,” he said.
Virender agrees the demand for foreign workers exists because Malaysians who are willing to do odd jobs are few and far between.
“I am lucky my employers are paying me well, many out there don’t even get paid minimum wage.
“Just look at how some companies treat the Bangladeshi workers here, herding them around like cows, milking them dry. How do you expect Malaysians to want jobs like that?”
Waiting on tables
While some Malaysians are willing to take up 3D jobs in Malaysia, many are venturing across the causeway for greener pastures.
Stacy Shah, 25, has been working in a restaurant for two years while pursuing a degree in biomedical science part time at a private institution in Singapore.
Six years ago, Stacy’s father passed away and that forced her to work.
“I just completed my A Levels and I did not have the financial means to continue my education,” she said, adding that working as a waitress in a restaurant in Johor Baru, she struggled to support her mother and five siblings.
“My salary was only RM1,100 and it was not enough. So, I decided to work in Singapore after my friends suggested it,” she said.
“My job here in Singapore is technically a waitress but we are expected to do everything from preparing meals to dish washing, especially since we are short of staff.”
Stacy said she does not mind the long hours because it is now helping her fund her studies.
“With the salary I was getting in Malaysia, it was not possible to continue my education.”
Stacy said she will be graduating in a year and is looking forward to establishing a career and life in Singapore.
“Money talks and the only way Malaysia can retain and properly utilise local talents is by offering good salaries.”
Keeping airports safe
Nim Bao Zhang, 21, from Lembing, Pahang, has been living and working in Singapore for almost a year since completing his Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia (STPM).
Working as a security officer at Changi Airport, he is no stranger to working long hours under immense stress.
“Security at the airport is strict and we have to undergo a three-month training in order to qualify for the job,” he said.
“We usually work about 18 hours a day and throughout that time, we are required to be mentally and physically alert.”
Nim said the attractive remuneration of S$2,550 (RM7,563) per month was what drove him to take up the job.
“On most days, I only get about four hours of sleep before starting my next shift, but the salary is worth it,” he said.
After completing his STPM, Nim said he worked as a sales attendant at a store but the measly salary was discouraging.
“As a sales attendant in Malaysia, I had to work 12 hours a day and only got paid RM900 a month, so when I heard of this opportunity in Singapore, I took it,” he said.
According to Nim, being away from family and friends is the toughest aspect of the job.
“I only visit my family during festive seasons but I consider myself lucky because it is only a seven-hour bus ride to Pahang. There are many colleagues who come from further away, some even from Sabah and Sarawak.”
Nim said he would consider returning to Malaysia if the economy improved.
“I don’t mind working as a security officer in Malaysia if they were offering the same salary as I get here. But I doubt that will ever happen.”
Instead of bringing in foreign labourers, Nim said the government should work on improving wages to attract the local workforce.
“They call it 3D jobs, yet the salary is as if the workers are just lazing around.”
