"It's Not Fair" — Large Pay Gap For Similar Malaysian & Singaporean Job Roles Spark Debate
"The pressure is different, and so are their expectations."
By Wayne Garreth — 22 Jul 2022, 11:12 AM
A Singaporean media outlet, known as 新加坡华人网, recently shared a photo on Facebook of job vacancies for the exact same roles in Malaysia and Singapore
The advertisement in place was for a popular fast food franchise, where the roles sought out were identical for both outlets, including managerial roles, full-time workers, and part-time employees.
The shocking part that grabbed the attention of many, however, was the disparaging difference in salary provision:
Breaking down the significant distinction between the franchises of the same restaurant in each nation, the pay is as follows:
1. Malaysian eatery.
- RM2,200 per month for assistant restaurant manager role.
- RM1,500 per month for full-time crew member role.
- RM7.21 per hour for part-time crew member role (with some staff benefits).
2. Singapore eatery.
- Up to SGD3,800 per month for the manager role.
- Up to SGD15 per hour for part-time manager role.
- Up to SGD2,200 per month for full-time crew member role.
- Up to SGD11 per hour for part-time crew member role.
Captivating a wide range of responses, many people took to the comment section to express their opinions on the impeccable contrast in salaries
One user stated that it wasn't fair to compare both job opportunities due to the visible dissimilarities between the offers that were made.
In translation, "One shows the base amount the company is offering, while another shows the maximum amount the company is willing to offer. How is this a fair comparison?"
Another comment seemed to back this up, stating that the pressure and expectations are different, subconsciously signalling towards the reason for one wage being higher than the other.
Other comments were more light-hearted, with one person writing how they'd prefer to work in Singapore as opposed to Malaysia.
Another person noted that the cost of living is totally different — which while may hold some water, still doesn't balance the scales of fairness entirely.
One of the most surprising comments, however, was from a user who claimed that working in Singapore is intrinsically more difficult than Malaysia
The commentator stated that when working in Malaysia, there would be "no need to rent accommodation," while working in Singapore would require room rentals, work permits, and paying income tax.
As anticipated, this comment did not go over well, with a few people clapping back with valid arguments against his claims, including the difference in currency between Singapore and Malaysia, individuals who live far away from their jobs while working in Malaysia, and the payment of income tax in Malaysia.
While debating about pay gaps that generally exist between the same jobs locally and internationally, can one argue that this is a step too far?
Click here to read the full Facebook post and comments.
What are your opinions about this topic? Let us know!
