Racial prejudice not reason for rejection among Malay job applicants

MEF Director dismissed racism as a factor for high unemployment among Malay graduates.

Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) Executive Director Shamsuddin Bardan said that most employers do not look at race in employment.

Malay graduates are facing bleak employment prospects, especially in the private sector.

Based on a Jobstreet research, regardless of ethnicity, Malaysian employees overall are saying that the reason graduates don't get hired, among others, are due to poor grasp of English and request for unrealistic salary and/or benefits.

"Muslim employees should not see fulfilling their religious requirements as constraints to do their jobs," he said in referring to Malay graduates who are picky on the race of their future employers.

However, he also advised employers to adopt some form of flexibility in allowing for freedom of expressing religious beliefs and faith in the workplace.

Earlier this year, Shamsuddin Bardan had also slammed the decision by the National Union of Flight Attendants Malaysia (Nufam) to defend employees’ right to sleep during working hours as this incurred costs to employers as staff were known to delay their work.