Unexpected Offer as a State Director With Higher Grade

Thank you boss for offering me a State Director post in the metropolitan state with a higher grade than I am currently holding it. 

Boss, as I informed you over the phone, I just accepted a new posting order to a rural state where I am from, as the new state director and will be carrying my existing grade. 

I want to tell you boss that I was really moved with your call offer yesterday. It came after a deep inside emotional farewell bidding session by MyTeams in the office hours earlier. I did not mean that I refused your offer or did not appreciate it boss. Of course, I must be appreciative when it is about a privileged offer and unexpected promotion. But boss, I have mentally committed to my self to be in my hometown for reasons I could not explain here. 

You gave me 2-3 days to rethink about my decision. I appreciate your patience boss. I must say a big thank you to you boss for thinking of me as the candidate for that director post. I would love to be there but.....if not because of pre-planned and approved posting order, i will without question and beyond doubt, accept the offer. 

Maaf boss...looking forward to be part of your team in the near future. 

Notes: The offer call by one of my bosses came in on 25 November 2016, Friday, at around 6.20pm, the day my current office held a farewell party for two other officers and me who are leaving to other work place. 

Eliminate Low Value Economic Sector To Reduce Demand for Foreign Workers

9 June 2015

The New Generations of youngsters are now less likely to work in sectors that are or perceived as difficult, dirty and dangerous (3D jobs). Directly, it affects the majority of business owners, employers and the industries whose find it almost impossible to sustain their businesses due to shortage of workers. Consequently, they opted to hire foreigners to fill the gaps. Whether the foreign workers are having a valid working permit or illegals is another serious concern of the country. To them, what matters most is the continuity of businesses. 

Several decades of times have been showing that employers who employ foreigners will continue their dependence on cheap foreign labours. They became less motivated to modernise the business processes from labour demanding to machinery's automation for a simple reason, it is cheap! It can be presumed that cheap foreign workers are equal as drugs. Once addicted, it will be difficult to get out of it.

However, to the nation and for majority of Malaysians, the presence of a large number of foreigners especially in the category of unskilled and low skilled workers has become a matter of concern. They feel unease, insecure, threaten and angry. The nation's economic competitiveness nosedived, social issues increased, international perceptions on human rights downgraded and the trends are not looking good.

The prolonged dependence on cheap foreign workers should not be left without solutions. Efforts must continue. Nevertheless, it must be acknowledged that there is no one size fits all in addressing the issue.

One of the suggestions that the government may consider is to look into the management of demand for foreign workers. The nation is moving towards becoming a developed country which economic indicators are part of the benchmarks. Technology drives productivity. Supply chain generates higher value added products. The economic growth moves in tandem with the increase in social well being of the people.

Thus, it is high time to have a policy to reduce and eventually to eliminate economic sectors that are considered low value, zero multiplier economic effects, no revenue generation to the government but heavily dependent on foreign labour resources. For example, scrap metal business, second hand clothes business, assembly of hazardous products etc.

By allowing these kind of businesses to operate and sprouting, it causes more negatives consequences than positives things it generates. For instance, the existence of scrap metal business has become a source of income through illegal ways by drug addicts and irresponsible parties. These problematic people have caused many theft cases taking place. They steal copper water meter, drain cover iron grille, motorcycles, bicycles, telecommunication cables, power transformers etc causing massive public vandalism. They then sell those stolen items to unethical scrap metal buyers for just a few cents per kilogram. Whereas, the cost of damage, repair and replacement are far more expensive. Moreover, the businesses are usually the eyesore to its surroundings. To make it more worst, these businesses do not attract locals to work but instead become the workplace for mostly the illegals foreign workers. (Note: scrap metal business has been categorised as a frozen sector which it is no longer allowed to hire foreign workers.)

At policy level on foreign workers management, the Government has imposed a freeze on certain business sectors such as scrap metals/items and second hand clothes (popularly known bundle business). However, it is obvious that there is no coordinated or streamlined policy at all level from federal, states until local governments. State or local authorities still issue permits to these types of business to operate. Hence, it is inevitable that the demand for foreign labours will continue to exist for a simple reason, no locals are interested to work there!

Dear policy makers...can you not think about this? Eliminate the source of demand, no more foreign workers come in.

Author: saupee, 2015