Commenting on news that students from Johor have skipped their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysian examinations to take low-skilled jobs in Singapore, Gopal Kishnam Nadesan says the issue at hand was not the nature of the job, but the wages on offer.
The Labour Solidarity and Learning Resources Association secretary-general said most young Malaysians would be willing to take up 3D jobs if the wages are fair.
“If Malaysian employers offered decent wages, why would Malaysians spend 16 hours, including the commute, working in Singapore?” he said to FMT.
Utusan recently reported that over 900 Malaysian SPM candidates dropped out of the examinations, with some choosing to work in Singapore due to the lucrative pay, according to Johor education executive councillor Aznan Tamin.
Gopal said there has been a decline in the labour share of GDP, or the total compensation for employees given as a percentage of GDP.
“Despite the Madani government’s vow to increase the labour share of GDP to 40% (by 2025), the latest figures show that it has instead dropped from 34.5% to 32.4%,” he said.
Gopal said if the trend of students forgoing formal education continues, Malaysia will lose out on a talented workforce.
In January, the Star reported economy minister Rafizi Ramli as saying Malaysia is unlikely to meet its 2025 target of increasing the labour share to 40%, as progress has been slower than expected.
The target had been set by the government in 2021 under the 12th Malaysian Plan (12MP).
The labour share of income increased from 35% in 2015 to 37.4% in 2020, but fell to 35.1% in 2021 and further declined to 32.4% in 2022, according to statistics department data.
Meanwhile, Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) president Soh Thian Lai said while the trend does challenge the perception that Malaysians are unwilling to take on 3D jobs, many students seek such jobs in Singapore only for immediate financial gain.
“The reality is that many young Malaysians pursue such jobs in Singapore primarily for quick earnings and financial independence.
“Their decision is largely driven by the exchange rate advantage rather than a long-term career commitment,” he said.
Despite higher wages in Singapore, Soh said 3D jobs offer limited career stability and growth, which in turn restricts upward mobility.
He said the physically demanding and mentally taxing nature of 3D jobs make them unsustainable in the longer term.
He added that upcoming labour reforms such as the multi-tier levy mechanism and efforts to build the technical and vocational education and training talent pool, can help bridge existing wage gaps.
“These initiatives will encourage young Malaysians to complete their education and acquire relevant skills that will lead to better paying, stable jobs.”