Just want to know if you guys experience what I've observed working for MNC...

Do you get the feeling your parent company look down on South East Asians especially Malaysians??

My current and my past companies are both western MNC...

During global committee conference... I've notice that they don't take suggestion and ideas from people who are south east asians seriously compared to when the ideas or opinions are coming from those western countries... (Malaysian/Indonesians/Thai etc.)... Singaporeans are somehow an exception eventhough they are also from south east asia.....

I realise they tend to look down people from countries that are not developed...

I think the most obvious bias against Malaysians that I've experienced was from my previous company... it seems that secondment for special assignment often reserve for people from our Singapore office and hardly anyone from our Malaysian office got chosen for secondment program.... even though our Malaysian office is technically more profitable and generate higher revenue and bottom line...

Our office once recommended one of our very high potential staff for a 2+2 years secondment program (meant for those young talents - late 20's early 30's) as part of our strategy to groom this fella up ... he is an overseas masters graduate and also a CFA Chartered holder ... highly knowledgeable and very proficient in the English language ...

The head office ended up taking someone from Singapore.. and that person the head office took is just a regular Singapore finance grad from one of the lesser known Singapore college... no CFA (can't get through level 2)and he speaks English with a very heavy Singaporean accent ... no other special achievement either..


It got me thinking... do MNC look down on SEA/Developing countries....

Share your experience here..

This post has been edited by holypredator: Sep 10 2021, 10:05 PM

From history, the west are major conqueror of the world and until today they still want to inflict their strength on others.

In short, they will cont to decide and dictate, unless history is rewritten.

I guess it differs from industry to industry....

No. But such perception do happen in MNC purely because of the way how a typical malaysian talk, act, thinks.

If a person is able to spit logical undisputed truth, in a confident manner without rushing their words, then they are treated equally.

First job until now also work in MNC.

From the paygrade, even same level also Asian workers salary are low than other. So what do you expect ?

If you fight for it and prove yourself, then there won't be any stigmas. Many Malaysians have become patent holders, contributing to IPs in my previous company.

More like an EGO issue... those western MNC tend to think their own western people are better...

They don't show it to you like upfront reject your idea and everything... but behind the scene.. we can tell.. they don't take us seriously and place us on last priority....


Even when it comes to grooming talent... they rather take people from developed countries despite having a better candidate from Malaysia...

Wasn't the first time either.... our Thailand office had a ACCA holder... and was the global top scorer for one of the advanced paper.... speaks very fluent English also cause she was from one of the Ivy league US uni.... she was like a rare gem to Thailand cause I shit you not... if you dealt with Thailand people before... FUUHHHHH can't understand what the shit are they saying with their thick accent.. even if there are some who are able to converse in English.. most of them tend to have broken English with poor grammar...


I got a feeling it has something to do with our pay structure... technically speaking manager salary from Singapore is very close to the western salary...whereas Malaysia/Thailand/Vietnam/Indonesia/Philipines etc.... our manager is equivalent to their fresh graduate salary... hence the HQ must have the perception that our quality is just not as good... just my assumption cause I've asked global HR before how they adjust salary for secondment candidates and it seems that they will just take your current salary and add in cost of living ...in a way you don't gain or lose in terms of take home salary but for most SEA countries ... our salary is just well below par international rate

Agreed, there's a reason why salaries are lower because it will give the company cost competitiveness. To want equal salary then you need to move to their country and compete there as equals lo.... There not much workers protection, pink slip and 2 weeks compensation and you're gone, while here we can still be protected by Employment Act.

I guess your peers capability level doesn't help either..

just like i've mentioned about Thailand.... you got 1 rare gem... but your peers don't give the head office confidence.. the stigma will always be there...

In Malaysia also the same... there will always be that few talents... but if the entire office gives them the impression that we are not up to standard... even if you are top global candidate also you get shun away..


Obviously... this differs from industry to industry....

Thailand and Malaysia is 2x5 5x2, impressions on Malaysia is not up to standard due to education system, so you need to fight for attention (sometimes luck play a part), Thais, even though have better education standards, can't communicate well - and usually hide a lot of things from HQ. So there you go.

they are the mastermind ma, we are just the working ants

What industry are you in?

This lol...
Plus what more Malaysians tend to look down on fellow Malaysians too, so... Can't complain there tbh.

Yeah. That is reality. Their 1 manager position budget can feed 4~5 manager in here at least. How you gonna expect they will respect worker in here? Even Asian director also need kneel down on their silly request.

LOL

never had this problem holypredator.. infact ppl ask for me to sit in just to provide my oppinion and at times guide wo.

What you describe is call unconscious bias.

Hey it even happens in our country!

During global committee conference..

Sorry need elaboration on this. Is this a town hall? Or a workshop? What's the scope? Country level executives of a particular business unit all sharing best practises on a global scale? If that's the case it's to be expected. The more confident and polished (possibly English accented) you are, the more likely you'll stand out. That's life I guess

But if this is a meeting with strategic implications and there is a clear hierarchy between participants and order of meeting and you or rather your country is getting overlooked, not a good culture I would say. There is no one size fits all strategy for every region much less country, you ignore input from a particular region, a big one at that, you're asking for trouble

This post has been edited by 9m2w: Sep 10 2021, 08:45 PM

well we 3rd world after all & not improving

The whites ppl always look down on asian ESPECIALLY ppl from Australian.

Those that always come visiting and get to know us will treat us better but those never come only deal online have this attitude.

In MNC for many year.. deal with every shit ppl. And I hate those from Australia the most.

Work in few different mnc, this happened quite obviously in one mnc. The other mnc were acceptable/normal.