JOHOR BARU: School-leavers in Johor are taking up housekeeping jobs in hotels as a stepping stone to better opportunities in Singapore, leaving local hoteliers frustrated and understaffed.
"They come, they learn and they leave as soon as higher-paying jobs are within reach, especially in Singapore," said Ivan Teo, who is Malaysian Association of Hotels' Johor chapter president.
This, he said, was why Johor hoteliers faced shortage of housekeeping staff.
He said many school-leavers would apply for entry-level positions that pay between RM1,200 and RM1,500 as on-the-job training was provided.
Once trained, they would look for jobs in Singapore, where the strong currency means a housekeeping worker could take home more than RM3,000.
Teo said this made a recent proposal for hotels to adjust check-in and check-out times so guests could stay for 23 hours especially unfeasible in Johor.
"When hoteliers do not have enough housekeeping staff, rooms will not be ready for new check-ins."
He said Putrajaya should consider allowing the hospitality sector to hire foreigners for back-of-the-house operations like housekeeping, kitchen and maintenance.
Malaysian Tourist Guides Council president Jimmy Leong said many school-leavers and fresh graduates were using local hotels as "training grounds" for jobs abroad.
He said Johor's hospitality sector must find way to retain talent.
"Hotels and other service-based businesses need to rethink their compensation and career development plans.
"If wages continue to lag, it's only natural that workers will seek out higher-paying opportunities elsewhere, especially in Singapore."
He said while some hotels in the state were exploring ways to make jobs more appealing to younger workers, they must be realistic about the salary disparities that remain a significant obstacle.