Disclaimer: In Real Life is a platform for everyday people to share their experiences and voices. All articles are personal stories and do not necessarily echo In Real Life’s sentiments.
When people leave their homes to find a job in a new place, they usually want to make life better for their family. This story is about what a young 19-year-old Bangladeshi man experienced when he moved to Malaysia for the first time:
I’m the only son in my family, and after finishing high school, my family started relying on me for money.
I noticed my cousins working in Malaysia were sending more money back to Bangladesh. Surprisingly, they were doing well, earning twice as much monthly as they would in Bangladesh.
Witnessing my cousins’ success as they bought land and properties inspired me to do the same for my family. The desire to provide them with a better life fueled my determination.
I applied for a job in Malaysia with a RM12,000 loan
In Bangladesh, to work abroad, you must usually go through several city intermediaries before reaching the authorized agency in Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka. In particular, companies in Malaysia can only hire workers indirectly; they have to go through an agent.
So, I contacted an agent in my city who claimed to work with a recruitment agency in Dhaka. Despite knowing that the cost was high at 283,000 Bangladeshi Takas (around RM 12,000), I had no choice, so I took out a loan.
After four months, the agent called and said he had found me a job in a 4-star hotel in Malaysia. That’s all he told me, and I paid 50%. Surprisingly, I never got any receipts.
A week later, I went to Dhaka to sign the contract. However, when I met the agent, they asked me to pay RM 185 without providing any explanation. Not wanting to cause any issues, I paid without complaining.
In preparation, I attended courses to learn about Malaysian laws, foreign workers’ rights, customs, and work life. I thought this was my chance to make my family proud.
I was sent to a Mamak in Puchong instead of a hotel
When I arrived in Malaysia in March 2017, they sent me to a Mamak in Puchong, which surprised me. The agent had initially told me it was a 4-star hotel, not a restaurant. Confused and disappointed, my attempts to contact the agent went unanswered.
With no other choice, I had to work in the restaurant, washing dishes—a far cry from my dreams. Back home, being the only son, I was pampered and never really had to wash dishes or do chores. Instead, it was disappointing to have paid about RM12,000 to move countries and end up working as a dishwasher in a Mamak.
Additionally, the restaurant provides a hostel where I share a room with 15 other colleagues. Each of us has a bed and wardrobe, with RM 40 deducted from our salary.
Working long hours, six days a week, without proper pay, became a harsh reality. I work from 6:30 AM to 6:30 PM every day, with two days off a month. Even then, I try to work overtime as much as possible.
I was treated very unfairly in my job
According to the Malaysian Employment Act, payment for overtime work is half the pay rate, and on off days, it’s twice the pay rate. Unfortunately, my management doesn’t follow this.
The dream of providing for my family was overshadowed by verbal abuse and even physical mistreatment from the management. If we don’t perform our job as well as the manager likes, he starts yelling at us and calling us foul names.
Once, there were a few unwashed dishes, and when the owner noticed them, he became furious. In his anger, he threw the dishes at me while yelling in Tamil. I didn’t understand until later when I talked to my colleagues, and they told me he was calling me names like ‘bastard’ and using offensive language.
A few days later, while I was washing dishes, he grabbed a bucket of soapy water and poured it all over me, hurling insults in Tamil like ‘smelly dog’ and ‘brainless idiot.’ To this day, I still don’t understand what triggered such behaviour.
As a result, some colleagues ran away because they couldn’t handle the abuse and stress.
I can’t leave the job because I can’t afford to go home
Stuck in debt, I can’t leave the job. Getting another job means more loans, and I still have to pay for my sister’s education. Even if I wanted to leave, I can’t afford the ticket back to Bangladesh.
So, I can only stick to the job and pay off the debt as fast as possible to go home to my family. We came here to earn money and provide a better life for our family, but instead of getting a fair chance, we just get exploited.
I hope for stricter regulations on how workplaces treat foreign workers. We deserve more rights and the chance to speak up. Above all, our feelings matter, and we deserve workplaces that treat us with dignity.
What do you think of this story?
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Read also: I’m A Bangladeshi Living In Malaysia For 20 Years, Here’s What It’s Like
I’m A Bangladeshi Living In Malaysia For 20 Years, Here’s What It’s Like
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