‘Jobseekers no longer a choosy lot’

PETALING JAYA: It is often said that Malaysians are a choosy lot when it comes to taking up jobs, which forces the country to employ foreign labour to carry out the work that locals shun.

Not so, say a diploma and a degree holder. One works as a rubbish truck driver and the other started by clearing drains.

These are their stories.

Aiman Muhammad, 30, who has been a garbage truck driver for the past four years, said he did not expect to be in a profession that was entirely different from his training.

A diploma holder in accountancy, he graduated from Polytechnic Seberang Perai in Penang.

Part of his training as a student was to complete his practicals in an auditing firm, where he earned RM200 a month as an allowance.

“I was just grateful to have a job. Previously, I had worked as a clerk and did odd jobs too. I saw a vacancy advertised by the Seberang Perai City Council on their website and applied for it.

“My family supported my decision. No one spoke ill of my job as a garbage truck driver, but instead congratulated me for wanting to earn an honest living,” Aiman told theSun.

He currently earns a basic salary of RM1,500. His monthly commitment includes repaying his study loan to the National Higher Education Fund at RM140 a month.

“I had applied to several firms but they wanted a candidate with at least a year’s experience, but I was only a graduate with minimal exposure. I thought it best to apply for any job to make ends meet.”

He said driving part time for an e-hailing service helps with the extra pocket money that he needs.

“The most I’ve earned is RM100 a day, and the least is RM50.”

Meanwhile, Mohammad Fadli Abd Ghani, 38, has been with the Seberang Perai City Council for the past 11 years. His starting salary was RM800 a month and he was tasked with cleaning the drains.

After a year, he was moved to his current administrative role due to his degree in organisational management.

He now earns RM2,500 a month.

“My job includes looking into each staff’s attendance and seeing to their overtime,” he said, adding that his current job allowed him to be near his father, who had been ill.

“He had high blood pressure, and as the eldest of seven siblings, I felt it was my responsibility to care for him. I quit my job in Port Dickson to look after him. My siblings were too young then for such responsibilities.

“I went back to work after my father passed on. While I understand some may think that a higher wage would be better, my salary is enough for me. Furthermore, I have work-life balance and am often asked to join friends to fish in the sea as a way to earn extra money. We would go with the tide at 5.30am and spend half the day fishing.

The most I’ve earned from fishing is RM200. It may not be much for half a day’s work, but the extra money does help to pay the bills.”

Previously, career specialists had called on employers and industries to be sensitive to jobseekers’ demands as this will help close the gap and ensure employment objectives are met.

Human resource specialist Thila Suppiah said the move is essential given that Covid-19 brought the nation to a halt three years ago, which led to massive job losses.

“Jobseekers are not being choosy anymore. It’s not about gaining status as they want to build a career. This is a fair assessment post-pandemic,” she said.

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