Malaysians shun Chinese work culture as diverging values make hiring hard

Many prioritise work-life balance over money, but recruiters say Malaysians need to find ways to boost productivity as staffing issues persist

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Many Malaysian employees say work-life balance is more important than earning more money as a wage slave. Photo: Reuters

Published: 11:27am, 21 Jan 2025Updated: 3:08pm, 21 Jan 2025

Staffing challenges at Malaysian businesses owe more to clashing expectations between bosses and younger workers than to a wider issue over work ethic, recruitment experts say, as debate over job culture rages following a viral internet rant by an entrepreneur at “difficult” Malay staff.

Malaysians were outraged after a video went viral two weeks ago by a businessman – apparently from China – warning investors against hiring Malay employees due to their unreliability and unwillingness to meet demands such as overtime work.

He complained that Malay staff would go missing “for the entire Friday afternoon” as they perform their religious obligations at the mosque.

Critics on Malaysian social media said the tirade was an attempt to justify enforcing China’s infamous breakneck work culture onto Malaysian workers, arguing that work-life balance is more important than earning more money as a wage slave.

“The Malays will try to balance work life & religion as best as they can without forgetting the reason we live on earth. We work to earn & to live NOT live to work,” read a retort by one Ana on Facebook.

But the real issue facing most businesses in Malaysia – regardless of whether they are run by locals or mainland Chinese – is getting younger people into work in the first place, according to industry experts.