Better opportunities beckon us, say Kelantanese who quit the state

 

Many say jobs in Kelantan are not suitable for what they are trained to do. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: Several Kelantanese working outside their state have denied that they are motivated by wanderlust, as claimed by the state’s deputy menteri besar, Amar Nik Abdullah.

In interviews with FMT, they said they and many others left Kelantan because job opportunities were better outside the state.

One of them, 28-year-old Norshamimi, who works in Johor, accused Amar of making a sweeping statement when, in a press interview last month, he said a “fondness for wandering” was the reason many Kelantanese chose to work outside the state despite an abundance of jobs in Kelantan.

“Leaving our families behind is not easy, but we are forced to,” Norshamimi said.

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“Sure, there are many jobs in Kelantan, but what if your chosen industry is small in the state, like the hotel sector?

“We studied hard, so we must find opportunities that are relative to our expertise and qualifications.”

Ahmad Fakhruddin Che Adib, 28, had similar sentiments, saying opportunities for engineers in the manufacturing sector were so limited that he had no choice but to look for a job elsewhere.

“Generally, it is easier to find a job outside Kelantan because there are many opportunities,” he said. “It’s easy to change companies because there are other places of employment.”

Fakhruddin has been working in Penang for three years.

Sajjad Saimi, 31, who works in the retail industry in Selangor, said the decision to leave the state should not be seen as reflecting a frame of mind.

“The reality is that salaries are low and the cost of living is high in Kelantan,” he said.

“No one wants to waste his youth wandering. We leave to get experience and better salaries. We also have families to support.”

Ismail Ibrahim, 57, said Kelantanese had been leaving the state in droves for decades to earn a living because of the low salaries and limited opportunities there.

Ismail, who left Kelantan when he was in his 20s, said most of the jobs available in the state were in the agricultural sector when he left.

Many left Kelantan to pursue opportunities with the hope of improving their standard of living, he added. - FMT