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Showing posts with label R. Sekaran. Show all posts
Showing posts with label R. Sekaran. Show all posts

Monday 8 July 2024

Working hard is not overworking

 Corporate leader: Malaysia on cusp of becoming globally competitive 

Both sides of the coin: Wong (left) and Dr Prem Kumar.

GEORGE TOWN: Working hard does not necessarily mean one is overworked or that one’s work-life balance is out of whack, say corporate leaders here.

Being highly skilled at what you do as an occupation and then being driven to accomplish your goals can be rewarding in their own right, said Malaysian Semiconductor Industry Association president Datuk Seri Wong Siew Hai.

Stressing that Malaysia is on the cusp of becoming a productive and globally competitive nation, he said hard work in itself does not equate to being overworked.

In the semiconductor industry, Wong said employers strictly follow labour laws and allow workers the freedom of choosing to work long hours or even to work from home for those whose jobs allow them to do so.

“Multinational companies employ tens of thousands of workers and must strictly follow international working standards under the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA), prohibiting any infringement on workers’ rights,” he said.

Wong was responding to the recent survey on work-life balance conducted by Remote, a global human resource services company, which ranked Malaysia at 59 out of 60, with a meagre score of 27.51 out of 100, just a notch above Nigeria, which scored 17.03.

The study, done in March last year, found that workers in Malaysian were averaging a 40.8-hour work-week, with only an average of 16 days’ annual leave, and a minimum wage of RM5.05 per hour, leaving them with little time to rest and recover.

RBA is a non-profit organisation devoted to protecting the rights and well-being of workers and communities worldwide in the global electronics supply chain, with companies that are part of RBA running the risk of being blacklisted or censured if they are found to have broken the group’s rules.

Wong said Malaysia enjoys one of the highest number of public holidays in the world, so it does not make sense to say workers here do not have adequate time off.

“We absolutely should not have been put in the same category as some developed countries, which have different measurements of work-life balance that are not applicable here,” he said.

SME Association Malaysia northern chairman Calvin Kwan said even SMEs (small and medium enterprises) in Malaysia adopted the United Nations’ principles on Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance.

“Many companies actually want to create a happy working environment simply because it will increase productivity and loyalty.

“We aim to create a bond among workers so that during times of a production ramp-up, we get good teamwork,” said Kwan, who stressed that workers now are more sophisticated and know their rights.

On the flip side, there are those who have to seek therapy due to work-related issues.

Consultant psychiatrist Dr Prem Kumar Chandrasekaran from the Penang Adventist Hospital said people who sought treatment for anxiety and hypertension usually did so as a result of work.

“We are talking about people between the ages of 20 and 40, some with weak immune systems. Early intervention is necessary due to a number of them having suicidal thoughts,” he said.

“Putting in more than 55 hours of work per week is associated with 1.3 times more incidences of depression and anxiety – sleep deprivation can lead to problems too.

“Add fatigue into this and the result is diminished productivity and the risk of burnout,” said Dr Prem Kumar, adding that work hours should be capped at between 38 and 45 hours a week.

However, he clarified that those facing work-related stress may not necessarily be workaholics but may instead be grappling with a shift in the nature of work or workplace expectations, especially in the post-pandemic period.“Many of my patients are not aware of this connection between poor work-life balance and their stress symptoms.

“The best way to handle this is to pause and evaluate your situation, assess your priorities, enhance your time management, establish boundaries with management, reflect on the changes made, refine them and repeat the flow that works.

“Balance efficiency at work by rewarding that accomplishment with ‘me-time’, moments with family, and doing things that you love,” he added.

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Thursday 4 July 2024

Remember, Covid-19 is still around


 GEORGE TOWN: With the recent surge in Covid-19 cases, Malaysians have been advised to stay vigilant and take all precautionary measures to contain the spread of the virus.

Penang health committee chairman Daniel Gooi said despite the uptrend in cases since the end of last year due to the holidays, the situation was still under control.

“People should wear face masks in crowded areas and wash their hands regularly. These are basic precautionary measures that we should adopt. We must also closely monitor the health of all our family members,” he added.

Gooi said there were no plans to implement extra measures during the long weekend despite the potential increase of domestic tourists arriving in Penang this week. 

There were 47 new cases reported in Penang on June 28 with active cases at 312 as of June 29. Out of this, 305 people were placed under home quarantine with seven being hospitalised.

Penang Hospital infectious disease unit head Datuk Dr Chow Ting Soo shared four important steps to keep Covid-19 at bay.

“In view of the waning immunity post-vaccine, the elderly and high-risk group should continue to wear masks, regularly sanitise their hands and avoid closed-space gatherings as much as possible.

“Secondly, this group should get tested immediately if they show Covid-19 symptoms, and get the antiviral as soon as possible.

“Thirdly, family members of the patients should also take a test and self-isolate if unwell to prevent the spread of the disease.

“Lastly, home isolation is still necessary, as well as wearing face masks for one week. If you need to go out, wear a face mask in public if you have cough or flu symptoms. Consult a doctor if your condition worsens,” she said.Dr Chow said these four steps also applied to food handlers and workers at restaurants.

Meanwhile, hawkers at the Paya Terubong market food court said they have been wearing masks since the early days of the pandemic until now.

“I also regularly use sanitiser and always wear a face mask when preparing food for my customers,” said sar hor fun seller Janice Cheah, 52.

Roti canai seller Karim Bukhari, 45, said he wears a face mask once he starts preparing the food.

“I come in direct contact with the dough, so hygiene is important. I want my customers to feel comfortable eating at my stall,” he added.

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Wednesday 26 September 2018

Still waiting on election promises

Will the Government deliver or are rosy pledges meant to be broken anyway?


PEOPLE are still harping on election manifesto promises which the new coalition has yet to fulfil.

In the wake of the 14th general election, the 100-day manifesto of Pakatan Harapan is being scrutinised.

Does anyone remember the promises made before GE13 or GE12 or any other election before that?

Remember the Penang Bridge toll promises?

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak came to town and promised free passage across the bridge for motorcycles.

Hours later, the then Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng cleverly upped the ante and promised that the bridge would be completely toll- free.

In Malaysian lingo, we call this ‘wayang’ or political theatrics.

I found it all very entertaining. I looked forward to each retort from the opposite side.

We should not be like children and cry: “But mummy, you promised!”

Now, Pakatan Harapan did fulfil some of their promises.

The Government abolished the goods and services tax and an earnest hunt has begun for those responsible for the 1MDB controversy.

As for the other promises, maybe not yet? Or at a later date?

You cannot fault Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad for being honest. He told the world Pakatan could not fulfil all the promises in its manifesto because it did not expect to win!

So the politicians were just putting on a show and we, the audience, bought front-row tickets to the ‘wayang’.

Dr Mahathir would know. Can anyone remember any of the manifesto promises that were never fulfilled during his previous 22-year tenure or during the last 10 years under Najib?

I don’t and I have been around for more than three decades, starting my working life the year Mahathir came to power in 1981.

If elections were won just on fulfilling manifestos, Barisan would not have been able to rule for 60 years because there has been volumes of unfulfilled promises.

Elections are usually won on negative rather than positive elements.

We have a saying in the newsroom: people wanna read about sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll.

At The Star Online, stories along those lines get astronomical level hits.

In politics, seats tend to be won by candidates who can portray how bad the other guy is!

People want to be shocked by scandals, not lulled by promises.

So we do not have to lament the unfulfilled promises.

It is a universal issue which is not confined to Third World countries as even presidential elections in developed countries are won the same way.

One which comes to recent memory is the United States’ presidential elections in 2016.

Everyone thought Hilary Clinton would triumph but Donald Trump ran a smear campaign on her.

People heard all about her leaked emails and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s case on her.

Both candidates spent millions of dollars taking out advertisements in newspapers and on television.

The focus was more on showing how bad the other candidate would be for the country rather than what they would do if elected.

So for all those who are still hung up on Pakatan promises, forget it.

You can shout until the cows come home and nothing is going to happen.

But they still have four years to make good on their promises, before power comes back to us.

They could be saving the best promises for last. Maybe?

Credit: Pinang points R. Sekaran

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