The Malaysian Insight

NORDIANA Nuzuin Akma Nordin quit the job she held for two years and became a freelancer when she could no longer bear the fact that the amount of her daily commute and other costs ate up 75% of her pay.

She worked as an operations manager in a private social media firm in Kuala Lumpur before deciding to throw in the towel.

“I spent eight hours at work every day, and four hours commuting on the KTM (train) back (and forth) from Bangi to Kuala Lumpur.

“Three-quarters of my salary went on just doing this and daily expenses because my office was in the centre of Kuala Lumpur, where it’s very expensive,” she told The Malaysian Insight. Her salary as a graduate was RM2,500, including EPF (Employees Provident Fund) contributions. 

The 28-year-old fits the pattern of female employment in Malaysia – increased participation in the workforce among those in their early to mid-20s, but a quick decline once they get married and start families.

According to a study by ACCA-TalentCorp on retaining women in the workforce, three main factors drive women to leave their jobs: to raise a family, lack of work-life balance and to care for a family member. 

A report by the Human Resources Ministry in 2015 showed a female labour participation rate (FLPR) of 54.1% of the total 9.9 million potential women labour force, far behind the male labour participation rate of 80.6%.

In June, Prime Minister Najib Razak announced that the 54.1% FLPR was an increase compared with 46.8% in 2010, representing 750,000 women who had joined the workforce. It was still short of the original target of 55% for 2015.

Yet, these figures may not accurately reflect the reality that women who opt out of the workforce are still actively contributing to economy, by taking up home-based and freelance work which better suit their commitments to children and family.

When she got pregnant with her first child, Nordiana decided to work as a freelance graphic artist.

“I suffered from allergies in my old workplace. During my maternity leave, I read on the role of women and their contributions to society. That’s when I seriously considered whether I should work at the office or not. 

“What influenced my final decision was that I thought of my own mother, who was single and yet managed to raise me even while working from home,” she said.

Salary not worth the stress

Like Nordiana, Fatin Amalina Lokman did not find the pay worthwhile for the long hours put in. The former assistant editor in a media company quit even though she had just recently graduated with a degree in communications and media.

She was required to work for more than 12 hours daily, which caused her to feel stressed, she said.

“Working in the media field requires me to work at odd hours. There were days when I worked until 2am.

“I live in Shah Alam. And going back and forth to Kuala Lumpur cost a lot, in terms of petrol and toll (fees). My monthly expenditure for my car alone is at least RM500. So, my salary no longer covered my costs.”

She earned RM1,800, despite her degree qualification and overtime if she clocked in an extra three hours per day.

“I was paid that amount even though I had a degree with honours. The TV station that employed me just said they didn’t pay according to people’s education level.”

Public perception

Fatin, 27, recently became a first-time mother and wants to look after her own child without relying on outside help.

“There are many stories of children being given sleeping medication at nurseries. Things are not like before. The public should not look down on women like us (for quitting work to care for children).”

Currently unemployed, Fatin said she will look for a job once her child is at least six months old.

There are trade-offs to Nordiana’s and Fatin’s decision. Though Nordiana’s monthly earnings fluctuate and Fatin has to rely on her husband’s income, both feel that life is better.

Nordiana said she is able to balance her work and personal life as a freelancer. Though work is not stable, she can earn between RM5,000 and RM7,000 per month, depending on the jobs.

“Honestly, our society still finds it unusual for women who don’t have a regular job at the office.

“The mentality of most people is that if a woman is not holding a conventional job, she’s not contributing to the development of society. My family still worries that I may not be able to pay the mortgage or food, seeing that it is only my husband that has a regular job.

“Furthermore, we are now blessed with a child. The reality is, since I work from home, I earn more than before due to lower costs (than working in the city). We’re able to meet our expenses every month.” – August 6, 2017.