PETALING JAYA: Malaysia is becoming an aged nation but low pay for a high-pressure job could see the caregivers we need leaving for greener pastures.
Malaysian Association for Social Care Professionals and Homes general manager Jeremy Leng said the starting salary for caregivers at welfare and old folks’ homes here is between RM1,800 and RM2,400 a month.
“At most centres, caregivers are required to multitask.
“They are expected to do laundry, cook, clean, administer medication, plan activities for the residents and take them for walks,” he said, adding that this leaves caregivers no time to interact with the residents.
According to the 2020 MyCensus by the Statistics Department, the number of subdistricts with an aged community – where 14% of the population has reached age 65 and above – has more than doubled within 10 years, The Star reported on April 6.
Leng said if caregivers are pressured to do too many things, the level and quality of care they can provide will be low.
Despite the increasing demand for caregivers, the salary in Malaysia is “far below” what one can make in Japan, where it is considered a profession instead of an act of charity or volunteerism.
“In Japan, caregivers can make about RM6,500 monthly,” he said.
In a recent Khazanah Research Institute report, there was a “significant rise” in graduates from the health and welfare sector earning a low starting pay of below RM2,000.
In 2010, 48.5% of graduates earned below RM2,000 but in just a span of one year, it rose by 7.4% to hit 55.9% in 2011, according to the institute’s “Shifting Tides: Charting Career Progression of Malaysia’s Skilled Talents” report, published in March.
While more graduates in the health and welfare sector are earning below RM2,000, the percentage of fresh graduates earning more than RM3,000 dropped from 30.2% in 2010 to 21% in 2021. Fresh graduates with a diploma in nursing, said Malaysian Nurses Association president Dr Aisyahton Suhaimi, earn slightly less than RM2,500 in the public sector while those in private hospitals might earn a little more or be entitled to additional benefits and allowances.
Nurses, she said, may feel under compensated due to understaffing, heavy workloads, and limited resources in healthcare facilities.
This, she added, could lead to challenges in retaining experienced nurses and recruiting new talent.
Although a houseman in the UD41 grade makes about RM2,500 a month, a rate set by the Public Services Commission, they should be paid “much more”, said Malaysian Medical Association president Dr Azizan Abdul Aziz.
“For their expertise, skill, heavy workload, long hours and high degree of accountability, they should be getting paid much more,” she said.
Malaysian Pharmacists Society president Prof Amrahi Buang said the basic salary for fresh graduates who are serving their one year internship is RM2,700 and above in the public sector.
In the private sector, it is between RM2,500 to RM3,500.
“While the public sector pharmacists have more benefits, those in the private sector have a higher basic salary,” he said.
The rewards of a healthcare career, however, goes beyond monetary gain, said IMU University Academics pro vice-chancellor Prof Winnie Chee.
“It is a career of service and compassion. Students pursuing a healthcare-related degree say they chose the field because they want to alleviate suffering and to improve quality of life.”
