SINGAPORE: Many people around Southeast Asia would jump at the chance to live and work in Singapore, but given the high living costs, the price, as they say, must first be right.
The New Straits Times (NST) recently posted a job advertisement for a roti canai maker. The salary offered is RM5,000 (S$1,424).
NST noted that there had been a “high demand” for the job, leading to recruiters posting ads in Malaysian news outlets with the salary mentioned above, along with “prayer room, accommodation and meals provided” as part of the compensation package.
Despite the salary and perks, however, NST quoted the head of a restaurant group in Malaysia as saying that it may not be enough for a roti canai maker to live comfortably, as the worker would still have to consider his daily expenses and transport fees.
“The offered salary may sound substantial in ringgit terms, but when converted to Singapore dollars and considering the cost of living on the island, it might not provide the desired quality of life,” Mr Jeremy Lim, the vice president of the Restaurant and Bistro Owners Association, told NST.
Nevertheless, he added that Malaysia, particularly Johor, is losing talented cooks and chefs pursuing better-paying salaries overseas. “Retaining talent in Malaysia is increasingly challenging, especially in the food and beverage and retail sectors.
Opportunities across the causeway are enticing talent away from Malaysia, driven not only by salary but also by the broader range of opportunities available,” he said.
However, netizens responding to the NST report on the news site’s Facebook page have noted that it’s still a “better salary” than what the job pays in, say, Melaka, where roti canai workers make RM3,500 ($S997) monthly.
Others said that even if living costs are higher, the workers’ food and housing are already covered, which means Malaysian workers can save more money.
In 2022, Mr Kamarul Rizal, a Malaysian restauranteur from Negeri Sembilan said a state leader had asked him to teach people how to make roti canai.
He said at the time that the job was in high demand and that some places offered roti canai workers a daily salary of RM200 (S$57)
“Little do people know, roti canai maker is in high demand right now. Some places will even offer you a salary of RM200 per day,” he revealed.
He was also quoted as saying that roti canai makers were being offered jobs overseas—including in Singapore and Australia—and that one was even given a job in Brunei that paid RM10,000 monthly (S$2,848).
“People who are jobless or not interested in academics can try to learn the skills in making roti canai. The job is highly in demand now,” Mr Kamarul said. /TISG
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