We’ve spoken about foreign workers in Malaysia time and time again, about how their presence here is based on the fact that there are jobs here that locals just won’t take.
But here’s a new debate. What if there are triple D (dirty, dangerous and demeaning) jobs in Malaysia that foreigners are working but legally shouldn’t be due to certain restrictions? Say, maybe because they don’t have driving licences?
The We are Malaysians Facebook page took to their timeline to showcase an incident in which a few local security guards stopped a foreign worker who was driving an MPSJ garbage truck from entering a neighbourhood because he didn’t have a licence to drive the truck.
Dei!!! Tu yg bawa lori sampah, org Malaysia xnak kerja, bagilah bangla kerja, apasal ko pergi kacau dia, ko mau ganti kerja diakah, xada dia siapa tlg angkat sampah ruma ko, Cilaka ko!
Posted by 我们是马来西亚人 We are Malaysians on Tuesday, November 5, 2019
We are Malaysians wrote, “He’s driving the garbage truck because Malaysians won’t take such jobs, so why would you bother him? Would you do his job? If he’s not doing it there won’t be anyone to help you pick up the trash you leave in front of your house.”
In the video, the security guard could be heard asking the foreign worker, “How can you be driving the lorry? Us, Malaysians, also cannot drive the lorry and we have licences. But you guys don’t have the licence but are bravely driving lorries and garbage trucks, and easily entering other people’s neighbourhoods.”
Upon viewing the video, netizens were divided. Many agreed with what the security guards did, for it is wrong for anyone at all to be operating a vehicle without a licence.
Source: Facebook
This comment says, “Without a licence, how is he driving a lorry? When he hits and kills someone, who is going to answer for it? Government, open your eyes and look for the employer who is allowing foreign workers to drive lorries without a licence.”
Source: Facebook
Others, however, stood with We are Malaysians, adding that the guards should not bully the foreign worker the way that they did but instead, confront this employer regarding the incident or report it to the authorities.
Source: Facebook
This comment reads, “The problem is, if the driver does not have a licence, report it to the police. If you want to scold someone, scold their employers. Everyday, your trash is cleaned up because they are doing it. When you drive by a garbage truck, you close your windows and block your noses! They’re working hard to clean up trash including your dirty pampers, used period pads and stale food. I want to ask you smart Malaysians, how many of our own citizens drive around on a daily basis without a licence?!”
Source: Facebook
It was understandable for the security guards to stop the driver, as to enter a gated neighbourhood, you would need to register at the guardhouse with a licence or IC. But was it necessary for them to scold and film the foreign worker as such in order to shame him?
After all, they were technically just trying to do their jobs, right?
Whose fault is it, that foreign workers are allowed to drive trucks without licences?
Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
