What does a PAS minister know about real hard work?

Not fair to deprive us of ripe pickings, says Malaysian Down Under

Sabahan Jamson Agin picking fruits in Drouin, Victoria.

PETALING JAYA: Before he left for Australia, Jamson Agin struggled to provide for his wife and two children, earning just a little more than RM2,000 a month from his day job as someone’s personal assistant and night job as a security guard.

He had little sleep.

“My wife was working too, but we were barely getting by and were struggling to find any sort of stability,” the young Sabahan told FMT. “With all our monthly commitments, and having to send our kids to daycare, money was very tight.”

Then he heard from friends about opportunities available on Australian farms and he took the leap in early 2019.

It was indeed a fruitful move.

“There were so many jobs that Australians didn’t want to do,” he said. “I started out picking grapes and making around A$2,800 (RM8,500) a month. Even after factoring in rent and taxes, I could still send back half of my pay to Malaysia and sustain myself pretty comfortably.”

He moved with the seasons to different fruit farms in Victoria before eventually landing his current job at a fruit-netting company in Drouin.

“It’s a really nice, stress-free sort of life. I have a good job that pays well, and I can take care of my wife, kids and parents back home at the same time.”

Now, though, Agin is worried. He is afraid a Malaysian government policy could ruin his comfortable life.

Deputy human resources minister Awang Hashim has told the Dewan Negara that Malaysia would not take part in the Asean farm worker visa scheme.

Awang Hashim

The visa would allow Australian employers to sponsor skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled workers from the region to work on their farms.

“It’s a bit unfair that the government would try to stop Malaysians from coming here to find good work, especially when so many people are struggling,” he said.

“A lot of the money we make goes home to Malaysia. Most of us send a good amount of it back to help our families who are still there.”

On Awang’s claim that the visa was a pathway to permanent residence, Jamson said most Malaysian farm workers he knew had no intention of staying in Australia for the long term.

“Property is so expensive in Malaysia, and with salaries being as low as they are, it’s so hard to build up your savings to buy a house.

“The Malaysians I know want to earn enough money to pay off the loans on their houses back home and have some savings so they can go home and live a comfortable life without all the stress and commitments.”

He said that one former colleague, who now resides in Tawau, was able to save close to A$65,500 (RM200,000) in just two years, which was enough to buy a plot of land and build a house for himself and his family.

“Living a comfortable, stress-free life is really important to me, and I just hope more people will get the chance to do it,” he said.