That is what Aziah Abdullah, who has been working for 17 years at a Caltex station along Jalan Subang-Sungai Buloh, said after being informed of its sudden closure.
Aziah, who was in charge of administration, said: “If only I knew this would happen, I would have prepared a backup plan for the future.”
At the age of 36, Aziah realises it will not be easy to find another job quickly.
Her Hari Raya preparations have to be moderate in view of the uncertain times ahead. Without a stable income, Aziah is placing more priority on her only child.
“It doesn’t matter if I don’t buy anything for myself but I will make sure my child gets a new pair of baju kurung for Raya,” added Aziah, who didn’t get any compensation money from her employer.
She is no longer holding out hope for the petrol station to reopen.
The operators of the 15 Caltex stations claim they have been kept in the dark over why they were being shut down. They have received 30 days’ termination notices and must close shop on June 30.
They said about 200 people would be out of jobs.
Caltex issued a statement, after the 15 went public with their complaint, saying it was a “business decision” to terminate the contracts of these retailers, and that under its agreement with them, it had the right to extend or terminate retailers’ contracts at any time.
And although the Petrol Dealers Association of Malaysia said Caltex’s explanation for the contract termination was “unacceptable,” it acknowledged that it was within Caltex’s right to either extend or terminate the contracts of its retailers.
Krishnan Muniandi, 63, who has been working at a Caltex station for the past 17 years, said he was still reeling from the shock of the closure announcement.
“I was quite upset hearing the news. Why did Caltex do this to us? But what can we do?” said Krishnan, accepting the decision on the closure with a heavy heart.
For the time being, the father of four hopes to find another job soon. To add to his woes, his wife is currently sick.
Wardatuttoyibah Asnan, 24, started working at the petrol station as a clerk after finishing her secondary school education three years ago.
“I came here to work right after leaving school; this place means so much to me.”
“It saddens me because I have got so used to my work surroundings. Caltex should have thought of how their decision affects so many people.
“Many of those who work here support their family. Have they spared any thought for them? They are so insensitive.”
Caltex: Retailers’ contracts terminated for business reasons