Been seeing all the news about Malaysia's economy growing, attracting FDI, and creating "high-value" jobs. But then I look at my own day-to-day, and I have to wonder, is this true?

I see so many of my friends and colleagues in professional roles with those canggih-canggih titles – Analysts, Specialists, Executives, and bla bla bla.

But honestly, when we talk about our actual work, a common theme emerges: massive amount of our time is spent on manual work.

Manually copy-pasting everything, line by line, into our internal systems.

Double-checking everything by eye, just hoping there is no typo.

Sending the same follow-up emails over and over.

I have talked with my friends in similar roles and it is the same story, sometimes even worse in the SMEs.

So it got me thinking... maybe this is why many of us feel stuck at the lower chain of the job. We, Malaysian seen as "efficient" because our labor is cheaper, not because our processes are actually smart. Our value is measured by how fast we can do the manual work, not how much we can improve the process.

I am genuinely trying to figure out if I am just in my "comfort zone" surrounded by these kinds of jobs, or if this is a really common thing for professionals in Malaysia.

So, I wanted to ask everyone here:

How much of your job is actually 'thinking' work that requires your brain vs just manual, copy-paste grunt work that makes you feel like a robot?

If this is a common thing, why do you think it's still like this? Is it just the classic culture of 'it's always been this way'? Are the bosses kedekut to pay for better software? Or do they just not know how much time this stuff really takes up?

And for those who have managed to escape this cycle, I really want to know: What is your 'life hack'? What software, crazy Excel macro, or new process did you find that actually worked? And the million-dollar question: how did you convince your boss to actually approve it?

Keen to hear your thoughts. Is it just me being siok sendiri here, or is this a shared frustration for many of us? Would be great to hear from all angles too. If you are a decision maker or tauke, what are the real challenges in changing these old processes?

If I can earn a good salary, I honestly dun mind those manual copy paste, eye checking and follow up work. It's simple work if the pay is good

If you are a programmer and needs to solve issues and bugs... you can't just cut and paste... you need to understand the program, the flow of information and debug the issue. But sadly a lot of half passed six 'programmers' out there that also just cut and paste without understanding the underlying process and when issues cropped up and they could not solved it, they just shift company.

Anyway you need to move up the job chain. There is always a ceiling pay for certain jobs. Move up the job market. Don't get stuck with the same job title doing the same thing again and again and expect the salary to increased exponentially. Move up to manage people.

when you got into senior or management role your job scope will be different. It really depends on which sector your in also. I dont mind doing work checking and stuff...its part of the job responsibility

sometimes not just about manual jobs. It's people management if no ppl management why need managers right, just executive and boss enough.

This post has been edited by blmse92: Aug 21 2025, 09:37 AM

summary: pick the right job

if u pick the job that only doing repeat and routine job ..then either wait until someone implement automation or even AI then can bye bye your role

I think the bottom line is all about figures & KPI.

As long as hit the KPI, don't care with what method, if by copying and paste and manage to hit the KPI, then it's all good?

Of course if you want to achieve more, than set a higher KPI?

Jump/change job every 3/5 years ..
U ll get there...

sooner or later AI will take over everything...There is no safe job exists

But the problem is, copy-paste and simple tasks don’t pay well...

Then that is really bad, any idea what range of salary earned?

that is 2020.

now AI write the code, u giving command,

programmer need to become train master or project manager already.

sad true.


as of now, u don't even need to know any coding already can easily build a apps or software or html with AI.

you want to think? go into manufacturing production or quality assurance and deal with production nonconformance and customer complaints. be good enough and get training in iso standards you'll probably be promoted to regulatory affairs, which ironically is back to copy paste

I completely agree what you said in terms of personal development. However, that still doesn’t change the fact that there are many low value-added jobs in the market, which is one of the main reasons our salaries remain stagnant, right?

agree..thats why now i am creating more AI to patch all the gaps (and make myself jobless)

jobless when ai replace you.

u will remain job if u able to control the ai to do your job.

which field you are in now? and what post?

If u want more money, the real question is, are u actually worth it?
If u are just repeating your job every year for 5 years, doing the same thing every day, are u really more valuable then 5 years ago in term of skillset?
It's not that u had X years experience so u should get X pay, its the matter of the value u can provide.

One of my annual checklist, in my profession career, am I more capable thn last year? Can I resolve something which I cant on my previous year? Did I learned something that I never knew last year? If u wanted to nego for more salary, the only thing really matter is your value, X years of experience is unconvincing

One of my life quote
"Doing the same thing every day won't make tomorrow different."

Reason salary is stuck is because Malaysians are not doing high value work. I worked both in Malaysia, and Europe for many years now.

Unfortunately low cost is just not good enough. First, it's difficult to compete with other low cost countries such as India for IT and China for manufacturing.

Next is Malaysia doesn't really offer a lot of good skilled workers to solve complex problems. Working in UK now, I do most of the design and solution while I offshore the actual work to staff in India and Malaysia

If you can provide high value work it might be more beneficial to move to a place that can make use of your skills because having better opportunities doesn't just happen overnight

Chicken and egg problem. High value work exists in places with highly skilled employees, and if a place have shortage of such people it is likely to receive less skilled work.

I'm in FMCG Manufacturing and this field really requires a lot of thinkers. Weekly production meeting is always a warzone and it's interesting to see the different minds collaborate.

Example we suddenly have a shortage of supply of critical raw materials from China because yada yada murica send some warship near one of their ports and distrupt shipment. Next month's production thrown to disarray.

Sales starting to come in and demand their customers are given a priority. Each claiming their customer is the most important and critical.
Warehouse and Materials begging Finance to let them purchase more buffer stock and airfreight, but Finance refuse because it cost money and result in more loss. Ask sales tell customer to suck it.

Purchaser start to make calls around to see which is the nearest alternative supply. See which alternative materials they can secure. From there everyone collaborate again to see which customer to save and which customer to give them the middle finger. Sales makes a pitch of each customer's prospect to justify which order to fulfill.

I would say most of those people in the meeting room and their key assistant are well paid. AI will struggle to replace these function because every situation is unique. There's a lot of emotion, broad strategic thinking which AI simply cannot replicate.

This post has been edited by Mixxomon: Aug 21 2025, 06:14 PM