This Tunku Scholar's Experience Working At A Mamak Opened His Eyes To Labour Rights
Coming from a single-parent household, he is also the first in his family to pursue a law degree.
By Sadho Ram — 27 Mar 2024, 04:38 PM
Meet Shahrizal Mizani
The 23-year-old is a law student at Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan. Last year, he founded Workers Unmuted, an advocacy and education group for workers' rights in Malaysia.
He also received the 2021 Tunku Abdul Rahman (TAR) Scholarship, which removed his financial limitations, allowed him to pursue his higher education aspirations, and became the first in his family to pursue a law degree.
However, Shahrizal's journey has not been without challenges
Coming from a B40 single-parent household in Selangor, Shahrizal — after having completed his Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) in 2019 — began working as a waiter at a mamak restaurant in Kota Damansara.
It was there that he witnessed the plight of marginalised workers.
According to the student, who was 19 at the time, restaurant employers often discriminated against and exploited workers, who couldn't speak up as they lacked knowledge about their rights.
Shahrizal shared with SAYS that he, too, was previously unaware of their rights. However, his work as a waiter at the eatery stirred in him a desire to study law and use that knowledge to help others.
By 2022, he started working towards upholding workers' rights by utilising the skills and resources he gained through the TAR scholarship, which played an instrumental role in fueling his passion for social justice.
According to the Tunku Scholar, he wanted to make legal knowledge, especially labour laws and rights of workers in Malaysia, accessible to everyone and not exclusive to just law experts.
This is what drove him to eventually launch the advocacy group, Workers Unmuted.
One of the workshops being organised by Workers Unmuted.
Image via Shahrizal Mizani (Provided to SAYS)Since being founded on Labour Day in 2023, Workers Unmuted has emerged as a digital advocacy initiative that seeks to create a future where all workers in Malaysia are aware of their rights
The advocacy initiative, which is currently run by eight students, has utilised various mediums, including video explainers, informative infographics, interviews, podcasts, and interactive live social media sessions to effectively bridge the knowledge gap and raise awareness about labour law among workers.
Impressively, the initiative has had tremendous growth on social media, in particular its TikTok account, which has 44,000 followers. Here, many Malaysians learn about their labour rights.
The initiative is not just limited to social media; it also offers free legal advice to oppressed workers through sponsored e-consultation sessions with Klinik Guaman Fakulti Syariah dan Undang-Undang (KGFSU), helping workers understand their rights and navigate complex legal processes.
Additionally, Shahrizal has also contributed to publications such as the New Straits Times, The Star, Malaysiakini, and The Malaysian Insight, where he uses his voice to shed light on labour rights, migrant worker protection, compliance with labour laws, and broader societal issues.
Workers Unmuted was recently selected as a recipient of the BinaxBangkit grant by Architects of Diversity (AOD)
As part of the grant, Workers Unmuted will receive RM10,000 in seed funding.
BinaxBangkit's main objective is to nurture and support new and existing volunteer-run youth initiatives that aim to build a more inclusive and equitable nation for all Malaysians.
Shahrizal shared that he aspires to scale Workers Unmuted to ensure workers are well-informed, empowered, and protected, paving the way for positive reform in Malaysia's labour landscape.
Speaking of which, the TAR Scholarship, an undergraduate degree scholarship programme, is looking for youths like Shahrizal who are looking to shape a brighter future for themselves and their communities
The TAR Scholarship is open to students who are interested in pursuing any MQA-accredited course of study at a local public or private university.
The full scholarship includes nine types of allowances and a two-year leadership development programme.
Applications for the Tunku Abdul Rahman Scholarship are currently open here.
Applications close at 11.59pm, 8 April 2024.
