Malaysia’s employers and unions not expecting “Big Quit”

Data from a salary survey by Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) showed a low turnover rate based on the economic uncertainty due to the pandemic and high unemployment (4.7% for the third quarter of 2021 or 746,200 unemployed persons), said MEF president Datuk Syed Hussain Syed Husman.

“Employees thinking of leaving their companies would have to take the risks of whether the new jobs would be any more secure than their present ones,” he said, adding that employers who have resumed normal operations would seek to retain their employees as they have the necessary skills and training to carry out their work by offering competitive salaries, benefit packages and providing growth opportunities.

Concurring, the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) does not foresee a mass resignation of workers.

READ: Malaysia supports over 200,000 entrepreneurs

MTUC president Datuk Abdul Halim Mansor said, “There are many who are not employed in Malaysia, but this is not caused by COVID-19. It is because there is no suitable work due to low salaries and employers who prefer hiring foreign workers as foreign workers are paid less. Local workers can perform their responsibilities well if they are paid appropriate wages and are provided with high social protection.”