‘Just go, man’: Malaysians urge Penang technician to accept S$6,000 Singapore job

A post on Reddit’s r/MalaysianPF from a 33-year-old Malaysian technician in Penang asking whether to accept a S$6,000 engineering role in Singapore has drawn an overwhelmingly supportive response from the community. In the replies, almost nobody is telling him to hesitate.

The original poster, who earns RM3,000 (S$947) a month in Penang and has never been able to break into an engineering role at home despite trying, received the offer after being honest throughout multiple interview rounds. He is married, has one child, and is expecting another early next year. He plans to keep the family in JB and commute daily to Upper Changi, where the role runs on a second shift from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m.

His question to Reddit was simple: is his HR manager overestimating him?

Reddit’s answer was even simpler: “Just go, man. Things will sort out itself.”

The shortest response in the thread may also be the most representative of the overall mood. No caveats, no lengthy analysis, just telling him to go.

The practical advice that followed was equally encouraging. One commenter broke down the numbers in detail: “You stay in JB, you will be able to save so much. You can double your current expenses from RM3k to RM6k, and still have RM12k to spare per month. Leave around RM650 per month for tax. Food: RM300–400 per month for one meal in the Changi area. Transport around RM150, not sure if not public transport, have to research a bit.”

The arithmetic alone makes the case. Even after doubling his current monthly spending and setting aside a rough tax estimate, the financial headroom compared to his current RM3,000 salary is transformative.

Several commenters addressed the original poster’s confidence question directly. “Dude, S$6k will go far for you in Johor, and that’s just your starting salary. Go for it. Don’t be nervous, you will be fine. Don’t sell yourself short in your head,” one netizen wrote.

Another offered a decade of cross-border working perspective that reframed the question entirely. “I’ve worked in Singapore now for 10 years. I always say this: you must think of your upside and not your current situation. S$6k is close to median salary; it is not a bad place to start. In 10 years I am making nearly 4x more, so you should feel confident going for it if you feel you have room for upward trajectory in your career. Always bet on yourself if you know you have the willingness to upgrade yourself.”

The commute acknowledgement

One honest caveat in the thread was about the daily cross-border commute. “The commute will be exhausting, but I’ll firmly recommend taking up the S$6k offer,” one commenter wrote, acknowledging the reality of daily Causeway crossings while still landing firmly on the side of taking the job.

The second shift timing, which runs from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m., actually works in the original poster’s favour here. Crossing from JB into Singapore before the evening rush and returning at 1 a.m. in the dead of night means avoiding the worst of the queues in both directions.

The bottom line

“While S$6k isn’t super great with a family to support, compared to RM3k a month in Penang, I think it’s an obvious choice even considering the sacrifices. Congrats and all the best,” one commenter summed up, capturing the thread’s mood perfectly.

For anyone watching from the outside, the numbers speak for themselves. A salary that converts to more than six times his current take-home, a shift that avoids peak Causeway congestion, a chance to finally enter the engineering career he has been pursuing, and a company that made the offer knowing exactly who he was throughout the hiring process.

In short, Reddit’s verdict was clear: bet on yourself.

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