I am 27 too, and am currently in the first year of fast track PhD program in IPTA.
Although I have one year++ industrial experience before I further for my degree, 3.5x CGPA, searching for a job is not easy, especially when applying for the 'gender-bias' position.
In Malaysia, the route after PhD is only academic and some (very very few) companies which specifically asking for phd holders. Anyway, since all IPTAs are 'competing' to be APEX (research uni), it won't be hard to find a lecturer job after your phd, or so I heard...

Yes I worked after my diploma thinking that "diploma is enough for me, I don't need to further study anymore", but the real world prove me wrong (sort of, but do bear in mind most of my diploma coursemates who never go for degree are doing great in their job now, so I think it's people problem).
I did not aim to be a lecturer, it's just seems like being a lecturer is the only resort when you get a phd, in Malaysia. There's near zero company out there which is really looking for a phd holder, because they require more of experience than academic qualification. Plus, the companies do not have enough resource to support their own employees to conduct research, so normally they will look for MOU/MOA with universities to conduct the research for them, with some agreeable payment and resource.
I don't have teaching experience in front of a class, but I do have a lot of 'teaching' experience among my coursemates...lol

This is a 'soalan cepu emas' whenever I asked about 'PhD vs Work' to my prof/lecturers/etc:"What do you want to do/be later?" The pattern of answer is: If engineer - degree is enough; If lecturer - you need phd nowadays; If you want to proceed phd - set your mind to become lecturer...

I would like to recommend you this comic: http://www.phdcomics.com/, just to give you some idea what's the postgraduate/phd life is...
I second that.

For seanwc101 - That's why I was in the same struggle/dilemma too after graduate from Degree. Even if I go out now with a Degree's cert, I still have to fight with fresh grad who is younger than me or the same age group who has much more working experience than I am.

For the salary wise - IPTA has a standard rate, but I heard my uni (universiti malaysia perlis)'s salary is slightly higher than other IPTA. IPTS depends on the institute itself, different IPTS has different rate (my lecturer told me this)

Future prospect, honestly I gonna see where my fate/jodoh will bring me LOL. But mostly probably will go academic, there's no other way that I see.

It depends on the topic your're working on and the scope, and also the research funding.

It depends on the post vacancies, and it should be applied to all uni too. Of course, PhD will be an added advantage.

Yes, some, especially APEX uni (RU aka research universities). Anyway, if you choose academic route, getting a phd is kind-of a must and sooner-or-later thing. THEN another few decades of fighting your way towards assoc. prof., prof etc...

IPTS (not sure how many, but some) hires lecturers with Master's degree, at least some of my friends are (who is not a phd yet)

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Added on August 24, 2011, 4:40 pmMyBrain gives below 3k. Uni SLAB/SLAI usually provides that amount of money.

This post has been edited by Huey_nee: Aug 24 2011, 04:40 PM

Yes truly agree of that. In fact, you really need a good supervisor if you want to pursue PhD (according to my supervisor who had the supervisor from hell when he did his phd). It's kinda a matter of life and death if you ask me.

My lecturer told me about this BrightSpark programme too, I recommend my friends who are doing their postgraduate research in UM to consider it, but they say there's a long list of terms and conditions.