In a time when many Malaysians continue to struggle to make ends meet, the conversation surrounding minimum wage has never become more crucial than it is now. So much so that the Malaysian Ministry of Human Resources has brought up the matter of raising the minimum wage amount in the country from the previous RM1,200 to a new figure that should hover around the RM1,500 mark.
RM1,200 monthly to work 12-hour shifts & clean toilets at a hotpot restaurant
And while that remains to be seen as to when it will be formally implemented, one disgruntled Malaysian university student who is also working at a local hotpot restaurant took to airing their grievances on their university’s confessions page via Facebook while earning minimum wage.
According to a post annonymously submitted to the UTAR Confessions 2022/2023 community Facebook group, a student grouses over how the owner of a hotpot restaurant was only offering RM1,200 for a vacancy that required them to work from 12.00pm noon to 12.00am dawn, while also expecting them to clean the toilets.
“Bosses nowadays really know how to joke around, saying how their job vacancies are being turned down and that people are becoming too picky.
Hello, you’re only offering RM1,200 salary. You expect them to work from 12.00pm noon to 12.00am midnight, and even want them to wash the toilets at a hotpot restaurant.” they wrote.
Netizens left exasperated by the salary
The post has since attracted exasperation from netizens, many of whom joked around at the low wage in exchange for long hours spent at the restaurant.
“Boss: You work six days a week, twelve hours a day, with RM1,200 salary. Is that okay?
Me: Why don’t I just forsake taking a salary altogether?
Boss: Are you joking.
Me: You’re the one who started joking around.”
“From 12 noon to 12 midnight? And I still need to clean the toilets? I wouldn’t do it even if you offered me RM2,200.”
“Even foreign labourers don’t get paid this little. Can you imagine, you’re not even on par with a foreign labourer.”
“That averages out to about RM3.33 for every hour!”
As of present, the motion to increase the minimum wage amount in Malaysia to RM1,500 is still in the midst of discussion. Despite that fact, larger conglomerates such as AEON and McDonalds are already beginning to implement the new minimum wage amount ahead of the government’s announcement.
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