Working in Malaysia. Lazy mentality of workers.
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Hi,
I am asking if anyone has work in Malaysia before? I have been posted by my company to Thailand for 2 years and Cambodia for 3 years and now Malaysia is my third posting as a logistician.
I found that the Malaysia working culture is the worst I ever seen. There is the blame and tai chi culture. The managers of every department try to tai chi the blame to one another. There is no ownership of responsibilities. Nothing gets done.
I have worked with Malaysians in Singapore and find them very perceptive to high performance. However, the Malaysians here are lazy and have attitude problem. Just today, I went and ask a IT person (a certain race) to help my department to do my analysis. He said some vulgar words at me because he had no initiative to go on and discuss the thing. In Singapore, this person would have been show caused.
Then the factory is in disarray. The local workers have been working for over 20 years and they show a lack of effort. They keep on making their mistakes and result in a lot of wastage. The Company brought in a German expatriate to try to motivate the workers. However, there has been a lot of resistance and the workers continue to make mistakes and are very lazy. There is no coordination and no planning. There also has been industrial sabotaged whereby the workers deliberately spoil the machines. But we have not been able to find the culprit.
I just wonder if anyone of you worked in Malaysia before? The culture here is horrible. Nobody wants to improve. On the other hand, the company is very laid back and I have a lot of free time. However, I cannot get things done and I fear that my promotion may be put on hold because my performance is affected by the laid back attitude of the workers here. My singapore HQ is beginning to see drop in my performance KPI. It is very hard to motivate the workers and when they hear words like "improvement", "high performance" and "work hard", they become hostile and uncooperative. Team work and cooperation are non-existence. But among a certain race, they tend to cooperate more. But to me as I am a Singaporean, they are very protective and secure amongst their kind.
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fire the lazy workers and get new hard working workers in lor. dun fire all at one shot. fire 1-2 workers first, then the rest of the workers toe the line.
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Originally posted by Rooney9:
fire the lazy workers and get new hard working workers in lor. dun fire all at one shot. fire 1-2 workers first, then the rest of the workers toe the line.
You think so easy? I am only a logistics manager. I am not the General Manager. In Singapore very easy to retrench but in Malaysia have to seek approval from governments. Unfortunately these workers have been here for over 20 years so they know how to protect themselves. They learn the system and how to operate the machines but they refuse to train anyone else who is not their race (not the chinese). So if they get fired, nobody knows how to operate the machines. This is how they protect themselves. Few months ago, we hired a chinese supervisor to try to get the workers to improve their productivity. They refused to share knowledge with him and after some time he quit and went back to his former company. Moreover, our factory is located in a village area. We can only employ them and no one else. We cannot get good workers from other parts of the country. The Malaysian government limit our intake of foreign workers. They give us only 3 years contract and give us limited quota. I find the Vietnamese workers very hardworking but because they only able to stay here for 3 years. The Malaysian government wants us to hire the locals who are very lazy and no motivation. They also very good at watching over one another and protect themselves. They don't help outsiders. -
go with the flow
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well, for me, I went over to mys to upgrade the network and phone system of my company.
when I was there, I tried to talk to the people, they told me straight "bang, malay only".. I was like Huh??
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i think singaporeans have to realise that not every country is the same.
my friend goes overseas and complains about the workers there all the time.
its not like u didn't try but if the system promotes laziness and the government protects it then what can you do?
so, go with the flow. understand their working mentality, understand why they work this way then maybe you can figure something out. instead of jamming your work ethics down their throats.
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typical workers mentality lar. work so hard for what, for so low pay, what for.
work hard I also wont get promoted and recognised, for what?
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Originally posted by iceFatboy:
well, for me, I went over to mys to upgrade the network and phone system of my company.
when I was there, I tried to talk to the people, they told me straight "bang, malay only".. I was like Huh??
Yes. Precisely ! I feel sorry for the Indians and Chinese here. My Company was also given strict quota to hire a fair number of Malay workers. They are very well protected. We pay them very well. 3 months bonuses and 10% increment yearly. But in return, they only do their work status quo. They cannot increase their productivity because they refuse to. They are not stupid people but they refuse to work harder and have high performance. They look to the government for everything. They jsut want easy money for easy work. So good life.It is a good thing LKY developed our country into a great nation. We get most of our own water. Our banking, education and manufacturing sector are performing well. Thank goodness we left the horrible unification of 1963. Had we stayed we be a second class citizen like the chinese and indians here.
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Originally posted by Hugh Hefner:
Yes. Precisely ! I feel sorry for the Indians and Chinese here. My Company was also given strict quota to hire a fair number of Malay workers. They are very well protected. We pay them very well. 3 months bonuses and 10% increment yearly. But in return, they only do their work status quo. They cannot increase their productivity because they refuse to. They are not stupid people but they refuse to work harder and have high performance. They look to the government for everything. They jsut want easy money for easy work. So good life.you really have to stop thinking that everyone has the mentality to work hard and have a better life.
there are many in the world who are easily contented.
if they wanted to work hard, do u think they'll be in a factory with u being a nanny for them?
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No one know how to use the machine?
Contact the machine manufacturer. Pay them to send down their engineer to train new workers and figure out how to relocate the lazy ones or somehow find something to pin down on them to fire them
Either that or you have to think out of the box on how to motivate them like non-cash incentives or something if money is not the issue
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Originally posted by elindra:
No one know how to use the machine?
Contact the machine manufacturer. Pay them to send down their engineer to train new workers and figure out how to relocate the lazy ones or somehow find something to pin down on them to fire them
fire the incompetent ones is ok
but there are those who still do the job they are paid to do (so don't expect improvements or increased productivity from them)
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firing and hiring is still the best policy. the malays are being protected by the government for far too long. it breeds complacency in the long run.
if you cant perform or have alot of attitude problems, out u go.
Singapore also got lazy and attitude problem workers lar. Just look around, you will find these people one.
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Originally posted by kopiosatu:
fire the incompetent ones is ok
but there are those who still do the job they are paid to do (so don't expect improvements or increased productivity from them)
That is why I said they must find ways to motivate themIf you want high performance and expect them to do it for the same pay or benefits, I doubt you will get anything
If cash is not the issue than they have to find non-monetary ways to motivate them.
If you just ask for more output with those people there is no way
Another way is to change the pay structure...instead of a flat pay they might want to consider "piece-meal" or add in quota bonus to the pay for more output
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Originally posted by Rooney9:
firing and hiring is still the best policy. the malays are being protected by the government for far too long. it breeds complacency in the long run.
if you cant perform or have alot of attitude problems, out u go.
Singapore also got lazy and attitude problem workers lar. Just look around, you will find these people one.
Of course lar. But you compare the Lazy Singaporeans with the Lazy Malays, much much better. Before I get posted to Malaysia, our factory in Singapore, 3 times better than the Malaysian factory. Then, in Malaysia, the managers are forced to forged their productivity figures to the Singapore HQ to be more comparable to Australia, Philippines, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, China, Japan and S.Korea factories. Even then the Malaysia factory is the lowest productivity.In Singapore, got attitude problem sure get show cause one. In Malaysia, nobody got guts to scold the Malay because they gang up and bully you back. A few years ago, there was a Singaporean GM here, he got sacked because he failed to perform.
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Originally posted by kopiosatu:
i think singaporeans have to realise that not every country is the same.
my friend goes overseas and complains about the workers there all the time.
its not like u didn't try but if the system promotes laziness and the government protects it then what can you do?
so, go with the flow. understand their working mentality, understand why they work this way then maybe you can figure something out. instead of jamming your work ethics down their throats.
The trouble is nothing gets done here. Everybody got to mentality to blame each other. It doesn't even satisfy the minimum requirement. Very hard to go with the flow. The HQ is looking at my performance. I fear if I underperform, they would not take me back to the factory there.
I wonder if you have work with Malays in Malaysia not Singapore. They are really lazy and political.
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Originally posted by Hugh Hefner:
The trouble is nothing gets done here. Everybody got to mentality to blame each other. It doesn't even satisfy the minimum requirement. Very hard to go with the flow. The HQ is looking at my performance. I fear if I underperform, they would not take me back to the factory there.
I wonder if you have work with Malays in Malaysia not Singapore. They are really lazy and political.
Dunno if can or not... my suggestionGrp of 7-8 top worker get to be team leader...significantly higher wage... they must want it
Team leader has to ensure that his team meets quota.... if not next better player? If cannot fire him then can move him back to normal worker anot?
Reason: Hard to manage becos u not 1 of them right? Make 1 of them manage the team for you and that guy directly answerable to u lor.... if fail ...off with his head.
Also breeds selfishness in them.... and they wont be so united liao.
Divide and conquer basically...
Theorycraft only ar...dunno in Malaysia can or not.
Kind Regards
Genie
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Originally posted by Hugh Hefner:Just today, I went and ask a IT person (a certain race) to help my department to do my analysis. He said some vulgar words at me because he had no initiative to go on and discuss the thing. In Singapore, this person would have been show caused.
Wanna be somebody,
You mention race even in this case and this must be reflecting in your attitute and behaviour as well. No wonder they hate u!You deserve it.
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????????????
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great...this is a mature post ...you have managed to use the phrase 'a certain race.' Well, try talking some sense into them. If it fails, try talking some sense into your superiorsss...if all else fails, give some feedback to your HQ. Your job is at stake.
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you better ask your company to post you back to singapore.
malaysia got alot of rapists. you stay there, even if you are a guy sooner or later you will get raped
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As a Manager, I would expect a Manager to be able to manage.
Hugh Hefner have reach a critical point in his career. The Malays in Malaysia is not just about being lazy. Disgrunted is just a quick way to describe the situation. I would say political and can never get things done.
1st, does the Log Manager report to the GM in Malaysia ?
If the current GM in Malaysia could not be trusted, Hugh Hefner MUST check who in the HQ is in-charge of the Malaysia branch. Take official leave and meet that person in Singapore.
How to arrange that meeting, Hugh Hefner have to think. It is not difficult. In that meeting, provide a true account of the situation. No print out. Suggest to leave the Malaysia branch.
As for any suggestion on how to improve the situation, forget it.
I can bet to my last dollar it will not improve in the next 20 yrs.
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lol
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I forgot to add.
Same thing happen in the military. Just imagine those hardware that is put aside for years. And they want to buy new hardware because they said those new hardware can beat Sg hardware.
Some of those hardware were even sold away.
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I think Genie99a's plan is
