Mamak workers, in my opinion (that no one asked for), are the backbone of Malaysian society. Mamak restaurants are without a doubt a huge part of the Malaysian experience and its the workers that keep them running smoothly.
They juggle all sorts of responsibilities, allow you to customize your order in any way you please, and maintain an amazing relationship with literally every customer that comes in.
Not to mention how they'll remember your go-to order every single time. Honestly, I've yet to see more efficient and friendly service in other establishments.
But that's besides the point right now. We need to talk about them, for real.
Some law students from Malaysian university UiTM carried out a study which highlighted the struggles that mamak workers go through.
One of them shared the results and their experience on Twitter.
Their assignment required them to interview mamak workers, inquire about their working conditions, and the Employment Act.
This is a graphic of their findings:
The findings were quite shocking to say the least.
According to the student, @aaradhia, his group's sample size was relatively small as it consisted of 9 mamak restaurants in the Section 7 and 16 area.
He also added that many employers refused them from questioning their staff while others were worried the authorities might get them in trouble.
However, it wouldn't really be a reach to say that the data they gathered could apply to most of the mamaks in the country due to how similarly they all operate.
The general consensus of the study seems to point towards the fact that mamak workers are overworked and not compensated nor treated fairly in return. Mainly due to the fact they're not aware of the Employment Act.
What is the Employment Act?
According to Conventus Law, the Employment Act of 1955 protects all local and legally employed foreign workers in Malaysia who earn less than US$498 (RM2,000) per-month as well as manual workers regardless of their pay.
Employees are also entitled to one whole day of "rest" in a week and if they're required to work on "rest" days, they have to be paid extra. The same applies to overtime work.
When comparing to the study done by the students, the difference is stark.
More studies were done.
However, the law students were not the first to pick up on this issue and they won't be the last either.
As reported by BBC, mamak restaurants in Malaysia employ foreign workers as most locals do not want to work in the industry due to long working hours and low wage compensation.
Reports have also found that a huge majority of foreign workers, mainly from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Indonesia face exploitation and unsafe working conditions. Not to mention the physical and verbal abuse they face from their employers.
The study was conducted by 4 law students, @aaradhia, @jijiazman, @sunshinekafiya, and @dhiladhln. They shared their results and thoughts on Twitter.
To read more on the plight of migrant/foreign workers in Malaysia, try this study by Amnesty International.
Read more about Malaysia:
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Malaysians p*ssed at road authorities for swiftly apologizing to minister who got injured by pothole
Malaysia is charging another glove maker for poor living conditions
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Cover image sourced from FriedChillies
