{"id":18279,"date":"2021-03-21T20:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-03-21T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.comparehero.my\/blog\/uncategorized\/how-to-bounce-back-from-retrenchment-amid-cmco.html"},"modified":"2026-03-26T16:01:56","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T08:01:56","slug":"how-to-bounce-back-from-retrenchment-amid-cmco","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comparehero.my\/blog\/wages-employment\/how-to-bounce-back-from-retrenchment-amid-cmco.html","title":{"rendered":"Job Loss Amid CMCO: How To Bounce Back From Retrenchment"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Many Malaysians have lost their jobs or gone into unemployment since the Movement Control Order (MCO) came into force. Learn how three Malaysians bounced back from retrenchment amid the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) or PKPB.<\/p> \n

The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely impacted our country\u2019s economy, with the slowdown in economic activity a sign of a looming recession. Some staggering figures over the last few months also reveal the scale of the COVID-19 pandemic on the country\u2019s job market.<\/p> \n

For starters, Malaysia\u2019s unemployment rate rose by 3.9% in March<\/a>, with the number of unemployed persons increasing by 17.1% year on year (yoy) from 521,300 to 601,500. The increase in March is a reflection of the negative impact of the Movement Control Order (MCO) imposed from March 18 to April 28 to contain the COVID-19 outbreak, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).<\/p> \n

Additionally, a survey conducted by DOSM revealed that almost 50% of self-employed Malaysians are out of work because of the MCO<\/a>. It also showed that the agriculture and services sectors recorded the highest percentage of job losses as compared to other sectors, with 21.9% and 15%, respectively.<\/p> \n

All in all, the labour industry has been severely affected by the pandemic. Bank Negara Malaysia estimates that the unemployment rate<\/a> will shoot up to 4% this year from 3.3% in 2019. For context, the highest unemployment rate for Malaysia was recorded at 7.4% in 1986.<\/p> \n

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Source: DOSM<\/em><\/p> \n

The crippling effects of the COVID-19 pandemic hit closer to home for three Malaysians, all of whom were retrenched from their respective jobs due to the virus. In this article, CompareHero.my spoke to them to learn how they coped, and how they\u2019re finding their way back up again.<\/p> \n

The Ex-Teacher Who Took Up Over Three Side Jobs<\/h2> \n

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Photo courtesy of Shirley, used with permission<\/em><\/p> \n

For Shirley Leow (pseudonym), losing her job of working with special needs children was a bittersweet occasion. Though it posed a serious financial conundrum for the 25-year-old, it also provided her with a slight sense of relief because she was able to leave a low-paying job with a working culture that clashed with her own values.<\/p> \n

\u201cWhen I realized I would no longer have a few months\u2019 salary, I started panicking, especially because I have to support two households<\/strong>,\u201d she said.<\/p> \n

Leow, who has been living independently for over five years now, is currently earning a couple of hundreds by sewing PPEs for a social enterprise.<\/strong> She also earns some extra income by freelancing as a writer and editor<\/strong>.<\/p> \n

She admits that though she\u2019s currently struggling to make ends meet, her current situation is still better compared to her family\u2019s earlier days during the recession in the 90s<\/strong>. With all their jobs combined, she says her middle-class family still manages to get by.<\/p> \n

Her motivation to push forward and juggle multiple jobs at once, Leow said, comes from the harsh reality of just needing to get by<\/strong>. \u201cI\u2019ll remind myself constantly that I\u2019m going to have to suffer for a bit in the next few months,\u201d she said.<\/p> \n

Though Leow has secured a new job, there are uncertainties surrounding the position, as she won\u2019t be able to start work until the education sector reopens. \u201cIt\u2019s in education, so my new workplace won\u2019t be able to operate until the MCO ends,\u201d she said.<\/p> \n

\u201cAnd I heard that centres, like mine, are going through bankruptcy. I don\u2019t know if the centre that employed me is going through the same thing, so though I have a job lined up, I don\u2019t know if I\u2019ll still have a job after MCO,\u201d she shares.<\/p> \n

Over the years, Leow has pretty much pulled herself up by her own bootstraps<\/strong>, from sewing her own clothes and batu seremban pockets to earn extra income, to cooking extra meals to sell with her mother. Leow and her family would do anything they can – big or small – to make ends meet.<\/p> \n

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\u201cMy advice to anyone out there who is in a similar situation, is to not be too fussy. <\/strong><\/em><\/p> \n

If you can\u2019t get a job in your own field, you can gain experience somewhere else. Every experience is a good experience, even if it is way out of your interest range.\u201d – Leow to CompareHero.my<\/strong><\/em><\/p> \n<\/blockquote> \n

The Airbnb Whiz Who Owns 21 Units<\/h2> \n

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Umar posing inside one of his Airbnb units<\/em><\/p> \n

When Umar Abdul Aziz, 26, joined a local online travel platform in November 2019, he had hopes of expanding his skills and knowledge in the travel and startup industries. But little did he know that a few months down the road, he\u2019d end up without a job. It was only his second professional gig since graduating from college in 2017.<\/p> \n

\u201cWhen the virus hit, companies in the travel and hospitality industries got affected really badly. Since January, they (my employer) have been making zero sales and they are expecting to make zero sales for the next six months,\u201d he said. Almost all of Umar\u2019s colleagues are either on pay cut or taking an unpaid leave; his own supervisor was retrenched as well.<\/p> \n

Though Umar said he was expecting to be retrenched because of the company\u2019s poor financial results, it still caught him by surprise. To prep himself for future opportunities, he has upskilled himself by taking online courses and increased his online presence on LinkedIn<\/strong>. \u201cI don\u2019t tell them I\u2019m looking for a job. I just put myself out there,\u201d he said.<\/p> \n

Umar said he\u2019s currently not looking for new opportunities, and is instead choosing to focus on growing his side hustle, an Airbnb business in i-City Shah Alam.<\/p> \n

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Photos from one of Umar\u2019s Airbnb units<\/em><\/p> \n

\u201cI will give myself some time and focus on my side gig. I would like to see where those things can go,\u201d he said.<\/p> \n

Today, Umar gets by with his Airbnb business<\/a>, which was birthed out of a combined passion for the smart homes industry<\/a> and his expertise in hospitality. Since its inception, his business has grown from one Airbnb unit to 21 units<\/strong>.<\/p> \n

Though the MCO did hit Umar\u2019s business quite badly when it was first announced, his quick thinking of tapping into a demand vacuum for quarantine centers<\/strong> paid off. By changing his target market to quarantine center seekers, he was able to save his business. \u201cI will say that we are lucky, and we\u2019ve managed to survive because of that situation. I\u2019m quite surprised it\u2019s doing okay, if not, we would need to shut it down because the overhead is quite high,\u201d he said.<\/p> \n

To manage his finances, he keeps expenditures down and makes sure all his commitments are in order<\/strong>. He also applied for a credit card before being retrenched because he wanted to fully utilize his payslip, and sees it as a proper cushion to fall onto in case of any unforeseeable emergencies. If you’re also on the lookout, it wouldn’t hurt to check out some of the credit cards available to see which can help you in your current situation. Click here to view a list of available credit cards<\/a> by CompareHero.my.<\/p> \n

Related<\/strong>: Ultimate Guide On Using Credit Cards Responsibly<\/a><\/p> \n

A big lesson he learned from being retrenched is to always be prepared for the worst<\/strong>.<\/p> \n

\u201cIf you are working with the government, your job security is higher than in a private company. However, there\u2019s no such thing as complete job security, regardless of your experience, because at the end of the day, businesses still need to make money [in order to keep you employed],\u201d he said.<\/p> \n

The Marketer Who Just Never Gave Up<\/h2> \n

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Photo courtesy of Soffian<\/em><\/p> \n

Before getting retrenched, Soffian Abdul Manaf<\/strong>, 36, was part of the internal marketing team at a foreign business process outsourcing company with offices across the Southeast Asia region, including Malaysia. Though the company was already underperforming before the MCO and cutting costs, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated his exit.<\/p> \n

\u201cThey said they couldn’t justify engaging only one person in Malaysia and I was made redundant. I was given a reasonable VSS package and within two hours, I was out of the office<\/strong>. It was quite brutal,\u201d said Soff, who is the sole breadwinner of a family of four, including two small children.<\/p> \n

\u201cIt was a bit of a shock, I thought I was doing pretty reasonably and meeting all expectations,\u201d he shares. \u201cThere was panic as well because I have a family to take care of, and it was really just a slap to my ego. But I also felt a sense of relief because I could finally do things I wanted to do.\u201d<\/p> \n

Immediately after being retrenched, Soff updated his LinkedIn profile, CV, and portfolio, and also signed up for freelance websites as well as networking sites<\/strong> to increase his visibility in the market.<\/p> \n

His persistence on LinkedIn eventually paid off when a connection from his current employer approached him, and the rest, as they say, is history. \u201cI was approached by my current company. We had a chat, then fireworks, chemistry and all that stuff… we saw eye to eye on a lot of my ideas and now we\u2019ve got exciting times together to look forward to<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p> \n

As a senior copywriter at his previous company, Soff got an upgrade at his new company, and now holds the position of a Digital Marketing Lead. Currently, he is looking to hire a pool of different talents to fill up his digital marketing team, with a focus on hiring people affected by COVID-19.<\/p> \n

His advice to job seekers, especially in today\u2019s job market, is to be as versatile as you can<\/strong>. \u201cIt\u2019s really about adapting or dying. From my personal experience, I had to figure out what I wanted to do, and figure out where I was willing to compromise,\u201d he said.<\/p> \n

\u201cWhatever opportunities that were happening around me, I was constantly readjusting my strategies. I tweaked my CV and portfolio accordingly and tweaked my approach over a period of time,\u201d he said. Soff also took online courses and attended many webinars while he was unemployed<\/strong>.<\/p> \n

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\u201cIt\u2019s the perfect time to update your resume. Keep updating your portfolio and start building your network. Don\u2019t wait till you dah jatuh to only push forward.\u201d – Soffian to CompareHero.my<\/strong><\/em><\/p> \n<\/blockquote> \n

What To Do If You Get Retrenched From Your Job?<\/h2> \n

Are you one of the unfortunate few to lose a job because of COVID-19, and now you\u2019re not sure what to do next?<\/p> \n

Losing your job can be an incredibly stressful and scary experience. It\u2019s easy for the panic to set in when you mull over the mounting monthly expenses and debt, and your dwindling bank balance.<\/p> \n

Thinking about the serious personal, financial, and professional losses that come with unemployment can be daunting. But it\u2019s really important to stay cool and collected during this difficult time.<\/p> \n

To help, here are five things you can do to deal with retrenchment in Malaysia<\/strong>:<\/p> \n

1. Take a step back for clarity<\/b><\/h3> \n

Your retrenchment doesn\u2019t speak to your value as a person or a worker. Rather, it\u2019s a reflection of the state of your organization and the circumstances, such as COVID-19 or changes in structure, that they are in. There are a lot of reasons why organizations change or are forced to restructure, and most of it has nothing to do with your skills or you as a person.<\/p> \n

2. Claim benefits from EIS<\/b><\/h3> \n

This benefit, managed by the Social Security Organization (SOCSO), aids Malaysians who are trying to get back on their feet after being retrenched. If you\u2019re released or forced to resign abruptly, you can claim a percentage of your wages<\/a> back for a minimum of three months and maximum six.<\/p> \n

3. Update your CV and referrals <\/b><\/h3> \n

Ensure your CV and LinkedIn page is up-to-date, and let recruiters know that you are on the lookout for new opportunities. Optimize your use of other social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter because employers usually post job postings there as well. Examples of job pages include:<\/p> \n