u r wrong. I dont agree. If u say that regarding to gevernment then you are right. But private they employ anyone who is suitable

Well because the entire biotech thing is by the government. All the companies included-GLCs. And most of them maintain a policy of 100% bumiputra. They hire only malays, and thats the truth. Try checking out the profiles of the companies in biotechcorp.

Lol even that website is almost dead with no updates whatsoever for some time. It shows how much biotech developed. From a "extremely hyped over field" to a 'dying field".

There are positions available for lab technicians and so on, but sad to say their requirements- Minimum SPM in science background. The degree is like hmm a waste then. For scientists positions---> minimum masters + experience or phd, and they are very specific as to which part of biotech they require.

how can u say

" if u continue til master o phd in biotech, i doubt u can a job in da malaysia market.. except becum a lecturer.. if u grad as a master o phd, u muz at least hav experience in the related field.."

there are examples where they require master or phd.. why cant get job?

when u are bachelor u complain cant get job becoz need master or phd.. now u say got master phd cant get job.. wat u trying to say? conclusion is u cant get job?

the work of doing your master and phd is the experience it self. Do u think the company can find experience ppl so easily in malaysia? If got also company willing take experience bachelor degree or fresh master/phd?

good news people..!!

i just came back from a launching at iskandar...

they require at least 2000 biotechnologist by 2012!!!

@xavier
i am one of the exhibitors...so what has upper management gotta do with the number of biotechnologist required?

@fenris wolf
there is this region called the SiLC where they will be focusing on R & D in biotech work. 2000 is just a rough figure. one of the top people from khazanah told me...if they could not get 2000+ ppl to handle the plants/labs..they afraid the whole project might fall apart...

if u want black n white proof then i am sorry..no..

but i just want give some hope to biotech graduates....that all is not lost...=)

because malaysia still don have the necessary labs and so on to start with...

and u say many...can give some rough figures?...cause if biotechnologist compared with doctors....its still less..correct me if i am wrong..

u can't compare the problem with biotech and doc la bro..

in sarawak..nobody wants to go there cause there so ulu(although the iskandar region also in the middle of no where)...and there are already plenty of jobs for doctors in semenanjung...so why bother going there?

for biotech is diff..whole malaysia every corner also not enough biotech ppl...biotech graduates cannot find good jobs..most of them go to fields unrelated to biotech..for doctor..no matter how..most of the time u still got job to do...

but if u ask me what exactly are those 2000+ going to do at iskandar..i really can't answer u la..

in general would be more research...but in a more suitable environment and hpefully, better pay.

I agreed with what you say. It's really depend on what skills you gain during the project. but, what i have to say is that not all the biotech courses offered good final year projects for the student. depend on the grant and the university. but, i will still think that there is also a chance for fresh grad to get a job,provided that there are company who want to train you into that field. I would say these companies is hard to find. but just keep searching. Like what i said,even someone got the interview, doesn't mean that i got the offer. Unless,you really force by life, you have burden, than, you really have to grab up any job that offer to you.Most of the fresh grad,they simply enter any field, because they want moneys. But, i doesn't deny they are wrong, because those fields really can be earn alot compared to people who really want to be a scientist. i am still alright at the moment, and i cannot deny that i might follow their path if i really can't get what i want. JUst hope that i can be the lucky one to be chosen to train by company. The purpose i open this thread is to let Biotech student or fresh grad to be get prepared that what they will be facing after graduated. And hope that people who  really lucky to got a job in science fields can give some advise,and experience for them as a guidelines.

I guess I can tell you how much I understand the feeling. My father kept hinting me to go for medicine or engineering since I finished STPM. Until the day I completed my honours project, he was still saying I was too ignorant and stubborn to go choose something so "useless". For 3 months I was depressed, I sent out nearly hundred of emails for job applications and got nothing, providing that I got my degree in Aus, it was even more stressful to have spend so much money and not getting a job.  Now I am working, and my dad finally shuts up and stops worrying and let me do what I wanna do.

So the hard times won't last long, so don't worry, but stay alert with the job market all over the world. All the best.

to be honest, iskandar project doesnt look to bright either. Another gimmick by the gov to boost the economy temporarily.

they dont need to increase salary, they need to reduce the prices of things out there. And that can only be done by stabilizing the economy back. Else, increasing the salary would be useless if the prices of goods keep increasing as well.

Can anyone in biotech who is currently doing biotech-related jobs tell what really a company wants. A fren of mine did bioinformatics even till master. he can programme very-very well. he got many interviews but still they say he lack skills. what skill actually? still he could not get jobs in biotech related company.

Another fren got so frustrated searched a job in Europe and now working in Germany receiving 3.5k EURO. He was a fresh graduate with no exp from UKM (who says local grads got no class).

sg jawi in penang u mean? they have plant tissue culture company? oh i never knew......hmm. There r more bioinfo companies in msia than u think Many really don't advertise even they have vacancies, so research about jobs are really needed.

Regarding what a biotech company wants....I once went to interview in a biotech company in penang, they are producing antibodies and other secondary proteins. They need people with experience in cloning. But the pay is too low with 1 year contract (under government program), so I turned it down even it is near to my house. N now im in kl! For bioinfo, hmm.....programming not necessarily, u always pick up over time. But I think the most important thing is the biology background. Cell biology, biochemistry, genetics or microbiology-basics will be useful.

Your friend working in mgrc? hmm, i might know him/her then yes, iq test or logic test included.

Is in penang biotech park, bukit minyak. That job is quite interesting too, because it involves protocol designing too, not only routine lab work. The contract is under government's plan, 1500 for 1 year, can't leave unless u reach 12 months. So, i tried my luck in KL. Have to be far from home thats the only drawback. Other than that, I love my current job

There is another company in Kulim. Pay not bad too. Is a US company if im not wrong.

Your pay should be not too bad, its ok to start with lower pay, experience is more worthy, right? So what your job scope covers? You love it?

Oh wow, u insisted to be in biotech field then? bravo, good for u, our field needs more people like you.
I am a bioinformatician. my job scope includes all the bioinformatics stuff but mainly in genomic area only (not touching on proteomic currently), like analyzing sequenced data, optimizing pipeline, ..... etc. but the main thing im doing now is learning programming script, because I had no experience in this at all during my uni days.

hmm.. nw i m wondering if u work at MGRC, thn ur result suld b excellent n also during da iq / logic test.. becoz MGRC is veli hard to enter want.. haha.. becoz tht of friend is a first class degree for biotech.. n da pay is nt bad among all biotech companies n also da medical underwriter.. haha.. btw.. da benefit at MGRC also nt bad.. haiz.. too bad tht i can't enter.. haha..

there is a company called aar in semenyih also wan employ ppl
3 k. go and have a look

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Added on May 27, 2010, 1:22 pmbiotech graduates can work as bioinfo?

Aha, I guess I know who is your friend 
Medical underwriter needs to be experienced in writing scientific or medical articles right? I don't realize that getting in MGRC is tough, I have no friends applying to this company too, but MGRC do need more staffs, did you try your luck?
I graduated in Uni of Adelaide, degree in biotech, honours in biochemistry.

i saw overseas  need many biotech ppl
but the requirements is phd or master

so actually biotech not that bad is it?
y u all don wan further your studies
maybe can become lecturer

Yes is a guy right. Not playing la.
Hmm....the ratio of race here is quite balance, its a mix. MGRC has many subsidiaries, the composition of race is slightly different for each subsidiary.
Good luck in your new job then

Well, be lecturer is not a bad choice. Even degree graduates can be lecturer nowadays, depending on universities.
Further studies take a long way, u have to be sure u want to commit and spend time and money and go down the research path, before u can take phd. I thought of phd last year, but I cant see myself in the research path forever yet, I prefer to have some working experience earn some money. Being a poor scientist is a very tough life.
There are a lot of things to consider. One problem with malaysians is that we have too much of misconceptions and wrong mindsets. We think being a lecturer/doctor/lawyer/engineer is awesome, but those terms are so general. Doctor, what kind of doctor, ethical doctor or money-oriented doctor? We generalize and group people according to their career, which doesnt make sense. One person can be brilliant and wise but lack a bit of luck, or the other way round. (ok maybe a bit off topic here...sorry)

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Added on May 27, 2010, 2:34 pm

Dont ask la!! keep it this way okie  

sg jawi in penang u mean? they have plant tissue culture company? oh i never knew......hmm. There r more bioinfo companies in msia than u think Many really don't advertise even they have vacancies, so research about jobs are really needed.

Regarding what a biotech company wants....I once went to interview in a biotech company in penang, they are producing antibodies and other secondary proteins. They need people with experience in cloning. But the pay is too low with 1 year contract (under government program), so I turned it down even it is near to my house. N now im in kl! For bioinfo, hmm.....programming not necessarily, u always pick up over time. But I think the most important thing is the biology background. Cell biology, biochemistry, genetics or microbiology-basics will be useful.

Your friend working in mgrc? hmm, i might know him/her then yes, iq test or logic test included.

well
wan to become a successful scientist sure have to sacrifice something
if so easy many also can enter
then malysia will be full of phd

there is a company called aar in semenyih also wan employ ppl
3 k. go and have a look

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Added on May 27, 2010, 1:22 pmbiotech graduates can work as bioinfo?

@OMG!
I agree with you. The spirit of curiosity and urge to find out is too low. (Not only in science, generally, msians grew up to be ignorant)
To add, not only in lab experiments, many science students do not know the real biotech society, they do not know whats the most recent journal in their field, they do not know new upcoming techniques, they do not even bother to find out the reason of doing something. Text books are forever outdated. I don't know how the education system in public universities work, but reading journals is really how u get in touch with the real science. Same goes to the job market. (and they complain about being jobless, sigh)

@xaviereo
I don't think its hard. there are heaps of housing areas there. by the way u have not get accomodation yet? it'll be june soon!