JOHOR BAHRU, Aug 3 (Bernama) -- Despite earning up to RM7,000 a month in Singapore, Muhd Rizal Jamil found that his life revolved almost entirely around work, with much of his time spent commuting to and from his workplace.
Although his working day started at 9 am, he had to wake up as early as 5 am to prepare for the gruelling journey by bus from his rented home in Gelang Patah, Iskandar Puteri, to Tuas, Singapore, which could take nearly two hours during peak traffic.
The 31-year-man from Pasir Gudang worked as a boat operation assistant in Singapore's shipping industry for two years, from March 2024 to February 2026. He admitted that the daily routine had taken a toll on him mentally and physically, especially as he worked six days a week.
"I finished work at 6 pm, but the earliest I could get home was around 8.30 pm. That was only if I did not work overtime. If I worked overtime, I would finish at 7 pm and only get home at 10 or 11 pm," he told Bernama recently.
The Bachelor of Technology Management graduate said that after his work permit expired and his employer downsized its workforce following a business slowdown, he decided to look for a job in Johor Bahru.
He said he actively searched for work before attending a career carnival organised by the Johor Talent Development Council (JTDC) at Ibrahim Sultan Polytechnic in February. Less than a month after attending an interview there, he was offered a position as an admin specialist.
Muhd Rizal joined an alloy manufacturing company on April 1 with a monthly salary of about RM4,000, which he described as worthwhile as it allowed him to enjoy a better work-life balance.
More importantly, his workplace is only about 10 minutes away from his parents' home, and he now enjoys weekends off.
"There may well be a salary difference of RM2,000 to RM3,000, but once you factor in transport costs, meals and room rental in Gelang Patah, what I'm earning now is more than enough," he said.
He said that through its job-matching process, JTDC assessed his educational background and employment history before recommending suitable positions, particularly in the fields of management and human resources.
"When I secured a job through JTDC, I realised that Johor also offers quality career opportunities with competitive salaries. It has enabled me to build a stable career without having to live away from my family.
"I chose to continue working in Johor because it offers a good balance between career development, financial stability and quality of life. I am also proud to contribute my skills and experience to the economic development of my home state," he said.
As of May this year, a total of 8,537 young people in Johor had secured jobs paying more than RM4,000 a month through various programmes and initiatives coordinated by JTDC.
The achievement follows the establishment of JTDC, which was launched in November 2024 as the state's main platform for coordinating talent development, skills training and job matching based on current and future industry needs.
To strengthen Johor's human capital development agenda, the council has also forged strategic partnerships with investors, companies, six universities and 15 selected Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions in the state.
The collaboration is among the key strategies to achieve the target of mobilising 10,000 university and TVET graduates each year through various initiatives, including Premium Career Carnivals, to meet industry demand for highly skilled workers.
-- BERNAMA