'Challenging to make a living': RM5,000 offer to attract Malaysian roti canai chefs to Singapore deemed too low

Singaporean employers looking to hire roti canai, or roti prata, chefs have set their sights across the Causeway — and it seems like they are willing to pay to bring home the dough.

An ad for a roti canai maker was placed in the New Straits Times (NST) on Monday (April 22), offering a salary of RM5,000 (S$1,425) for that position. It also stated that a prayer room, accommodation and meals will be provided.

This is one of several ads placed in Malaysian newspapers hoping to recruit skilled workers to work to Singapore, reported NST.

Johor Indian Muslim Entrepreneurs Association secretary-general Hussein Ibrahim told The Star in October last year that the daily wage for a roti canai maker in Johor Baru was between RM80 and RM90, which works out to about RM2,700 a month assuming the person works every day. 

A check by AsiaOne on MyCareersFuture show that the starting pay for a full-time roti prata chef with five years of experience in Singapore is about S$2,800, about double what was offered in the job ad placed in NST.

RM5,000 not enough

A Malaysian restaurant association, however, has come forward to warn potential applicants that the seemingly competitive RM5,000 salary may not be sufficient to live in Singapore.

Speaking to the New Straits Times, vice-president of the Restaurant and Bistro Owners Association Jeremy Lim said: "The salary offered is actually not luxurious and somehow challenging for the expat to make a living."

"Rental of a room alone can be anywhere from six hundred to eight hundred dollars. Then your daily expenses and travelling transport will cost you more."

"The offered salary may sound substantial in ringgit, but when converted to Singapore dollars and considering the cost of living in Singapore, it might not provide one's desired quality of life," he added.

The ad, however, did say that housing will be provided.

Lim also acknowledged that Malaysia, especially Johor, is losing its culinary talent to neighbouring countries.

"Retaining talent in Malaysia is increasingly challenging, especially in the food and beverage and retail sectors," he said.

"Opportunities across the causeway are enticing talent away from Malaysia, driven not only by salary but also by the broader range of opportunities available."

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bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com