Malaysians working in Singapore during the country’s Circuit Breaker have been getting fired for irrational reasons which has caused many of them to fear that they could lose their jobs anytime.
According to The Star, some of these employees are losing their jobs for reasons as simple as not wearing face masks or being late to work. This has caused some Malaysians to think that their employers are finding excuses to terminate them without having to pay them compensation during the Circuit Breaker.
One case involved a Malaysian, identified as Teo, who works at a Singaporean security company. His employer had asked him to hand in his resignation letter because he had arrived at work late one day.
Teo, who is in his late 20s, admitted that it was his fault for being late, but also felt that the punishment was too unreasonable.
“I think that times are hard as the company has a lot of workers but they don’t get many contracts anymore, which is probably why they told me to resign,” he said.
“Currently, I am serving a one-month tender notice and have already made the necessary preparations to return to Malaysia.”
However, Teo hopes that he can return to Singapore once the lockdown is lifted.
Another case involved another Malaysian, Sam, who was fired for not wearing a face mask to work. He said that he had worked at the company for many years, but was suddenly asked to pack his bags and return to Malaysia.
“They decided to terminate me and asked me to pack my bags and return to Malaysia. They refused to listen to my explanation,” he said, adding that he was planning to return to Johor soon.
A third case involves Anwar, another Malaysian who was terminated after he was caught chatting with his friends outside their hostel without a mask.
“I was just casually chatting with my friends for a few minutes but I was caught and told that I am sacked,” he said.
He added that his employer could have just given him a fine or a warning letter instead of firing him immediately.
Sharing the same sentiments, Johor Indian Business Association president P. Sivakumar said this was not the way to lay off workers.
“I know everyone is affected, especially businesses due to the lockdown but Singaporean employers should show some empathy when dealing with their workers instead of finding excuses to terminate them, ” he said, hoping that the Singapore government would stop such practices and take action against such companies.
During the circuit breaker, those found not adhering to the rules, including not wearing facemasks outside or not practising social distancing, can face a S$300 (RM900) fine while foreign workers may have their employment pass revoked.
Also read: 15,597 Employees in Johor Are Facing Unemployment Or Salary Reduction Throughout MCO
