JOHOR BARU: For 27-year-old Hasimah Salleh, working as a waitress in Singapore allows her to earn up to S$2,300 (RM7,590) per month.
She decided to quit her job as a waitress in Johor Baru and move across the Causeway after the borders reopened in April last year, as she needed to earn more to help support her elderly parents.
“In Johor I was earning about RM2,800 including tips. However, I needed more to help my parents, especially to pay for their medication and supplements.
“However, it has not been easy as I have to travel almost two hours to and from my workplace near Woodlands due to the bad jams at the check-points on both sides of the Causeway,” she said, adding that her work starts at about 10am but she has to leave the house as early as 8am to avoid being stuck in the jam.
Hasimah said that she only returns home at midnight sometimes after completing her 12-hour shift.
Meanwhile, another Malaysian, M. Latha, 42, who spent two years working in Singapore before the Covid-19 pandemic, said the money was good due to the favourable exchange rate but she lost time with her family.
“If you are a young person working in Singapore, the money is good but once you have a family and children, you will find it difficult to cope,” she said, adding that her job at a kopitiam in Sembawang started from 10am but she had to leave her house as early as 6.30am.
She added that she took two buses and a train just to get to her workplace and at least two buses to return home past midnight.
Latha, who has three children, said she worked for two years in Singapore before quitting due to health reasons, especially after taking on gruelling 12-hour shifts.
“Whatever I earned there, I spent it on childcare,” she said, adding that sometimes she did not have enough left to eat at work.
Malaysian businessman Phua Kai Hoo, 36, who runs five Cathay Chinese restaurants in Johor Baru and Kulai, said the manpower issue is an endless problem despite his waiters taking home almost RM3,000 per month.
“I offer basic RM2,500 with almost RM500 to RM600 for tips. They work 10-hour jobs and my manpower turnover is still high.
“Restaurants in Singapore are offering up to S$2,500 (RM8,250) for a waiter. They can earn more with tips,” he said, adding that his family has been in the food business for the past 40 years.
Phua said that at least 40% of his workers were locals while 60% were foreigners.
He added that foreigners could only work as waiters or kitchen helpers while all the cooks were locals.
“Some of my cooks earn between RM3,500 and RM8,000 per month,” he said, adding that since the border with Singapore reopened last year and the weakening of the ringgit, the manpower shortage had worsened.
Phua said the manpower shortage would prevent his restaurants from running at full capacity this coming Chinese New Year.
