Daily grind: Office workers walking in Kuala Lumpur. Many, like Yap (top right) and Maizatul, crave better perks. — AZMAN GHANI/The Star.
PETALING JAYA: As the country observes Labour Day on Monday, Malaysians are expressing hope that they will get more leave days, higher wages and greater flexibility on the job, even as they are largely satisfied with their work conditions.
Production manager Jack Yap, 50, is one of those who hope for more flexibility in handling overtime, even though his working hours are sometimes too long.
“For example, if I work overtime today, I can leave the office early the next day,” he said.
“As long as the work is done early, I can get home on time and then have my workout and meet friends for dinner,” he said, adding that after the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, he values time with his family even more and wants to visit his parents more often.
“I also wish there could be more annual leave days as we are a daily goods manufacturing company, so time off is shorter,” he said.
Yap also hoped a pay rise will also be able to match the increased living expenses.
“The pressure on wage earners’ living expenses has increased due to various price increases. I hope the company can adjust the salary every year as usual.
“This is the heartfelt wish of all struggling wage earners,” he added.
Maizaitul Akmar, 36, a purchasing supervisor, said every job has its stresses, along with pressure from inflation and rising living costs, but she is grateful that she still gets her annual increments.
“I am grateful that my company raises my salary yearly as usual, and having a steady income is enough,” she added.
Maizaitul is also game to take on more challenges at work.
“I want to improve my communication skills, and that’s what I’ve set for myself,” she said.
According to the Statistics Department, the unemployment rate in Malaysia dipped to 3.5% in February, with 591,900 unemployed persons compared to 596,100 recorded in January.
The labour force in February was increasing, with a month-on-month increase of 0.2% to 16.78 million persons (16.76 million in January), recording a higher labour force participation rate of 69.9% (versus 69.8% in January).
Meanwhile, the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) has urged for workplace reforms that address issues such as mental health and burnout among employees.
Its president Mohd Effendy Abdul Ghani said Malaysia will become an aged country by 2030 due to an increase in the cohort aged 60 and above.
“Whether short term or long term, we must prepare to ensure the well-being of the people, particularly workers,” he said.
He said the mental health issue and burnout are becoming more of a concern, with some studies finding that more than 60% of Malaysian workers are experiencing emotional stress due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The Employment Act (Amendment) 2022 does not have specific provisions for mental health,” said Mohd Effendy.
