I have 2 friends

1) guy in 50s....kena retrenched, can't find job but managed to do some free lance business. When then suddenly he was struck by an illness and needed a lot of money for long term operation. Had to ask for money. Don't know how he can support 2 children.

2) woman in her 50s. Got retrenched when she as late 40s, lucky found a job, but then into 50s, cannot tahan new boss, had to resign. Managed to find a job, but at 60% of her current pay. She still has young children to support.

3) guy in 50s...he kena PIP...near MCO, then joined a bankrupt co, in the end also had to leave, then joined another co at 1/3 his pay.



some of you maybe young but when you reach 50s....you feel like walking on glass.....that's gonna crack.

that next 10 years is crucial.

don't ever take any risks to get new job or take up transfers.

you will never know - retrenchment, suddenly co results go south, change of boss

This post has been edited by hoonanoo: Sep 15 2025, 04:12 PM

If you're not in leadership position or in a position where decision making or strategic thinking is value or where experience commensurate with your output, then yes, after 40s you're pretty much in danger.

This post has been edited by Mixxomon: Sep 15 2025, 04:20 PM

how is your PiP going on?

Agreed. If technical /quantitative skill set but report to sales based department; led by snr mgmt with “used car”salesman mentality then it’s a clear sign to gtfo. Surprisingly , these monkeys refuse to acknowledge themselves as sales focused ie it’s dirty word for them. Also their lackey/dog ie coach asking for handover on last hour of last day when it’s clearly not a coach responsibility to handle work stuff handover indicates their true parasitic intentions
There is also the bi-weekly sales meetings which strikingly reminds me of Pavlov experiments.. only the loyal dogs will salivate and bark when the bell is rung…

asking...

doesn't mean kena

I heard a 50 yo director punya contract not renewed

end up have to grab driver with his vellfire

Have to see what was his value added proposition he was a director in the first place.

A lot of people in directorship position is because of their connection, rather than their strategic know how.
Last time I got one guy being made into director simply because he used to work with a major customer. Company hoping he can use his connection to maintain the contract.

Mana tau the customer has a major revamp and nuked all the director's contract.
Following year no longer a director.

well because this director wasn't hitting his target.

big boss not happy.

well not easy lah...being in sales.

you know lah, if given a product, can you sell it due to its specs not meet customer requirement or it does but there are better ones out there?

Yes. It is you who kena.🤭

many in 50s cannot perform & bring value but refuse to leave due to the salary, therefore kuat main politics in office trying to suppress next gen from replacing them. not surprising when they're the first on target for retrenchment.

True.

That's why it's important not to stay stagnant and always improve your skills, business contacts, etc to remain highly valued

That’s why I plan for 50 years old anytime kena retrench. I see my colleagues 40 yo all still spend like they can work till 65 lol but at the same time start worry about job market Liao.

if you have to go means you have to go.

you take zero risk also you can go anytime.

whatever lah you want to think

anything can happen

but the luckiest guy I know was retrenched at 55yo got paid 550k.

he goyang...all the way to 60

So much of anxiety in this thread. TS. How old are you actually to have this kind of anxiety.

it is not anxiety, it is a fact

you reach 50yo you see whether you can find job or not

in spore the age is 40

Once over 35 not easy anymore. Somemore if got mortgage and kids to support sure GG if lay off. Many no choice die2 also need to start own business to survive

I still managed to intro my friend a job when she is 40s

By the time you are 50, you have to be a specialist and generalist at the same time. Specialist meaning there are certain skillsets that only u have (or very few people in the industry has) and a generalist, meaning you know enough about other peoples jobs that you can perform these roles if needed. In other words, you have to have breadth and depth of knowledge and experience.

You will then be pretty much secure.


I have a particular set of skills. Skills acquired over a very long career.~Taken~

when youre at age close to 40s youre already expected to get jobs via connection, not direct applications

i have alot of ex colleagues whom i see move here there often, all because they are constantly being referred to by their friends/colleagues internally. and these arent low level roles too

Been thru that episode 17 years ago, nothing to scare if you prepared well ahead.
From a 20k salary, it took me a week to finally launch my second option life career.

In short, by >50 after almost 25y in the ranks and you still don't have the moni and portfolios working, gearing enough for you and you still fear not drawing a pay cheque then you sendiri yg carik susah lo.

This post has been edited by jojolicia: Sep 16 2025, 11:26 AM

AI will replace everyone

Life has two blind spots most people overlook.

1st: We think joy begins after retirement. Fallacy. Many never reach 60. Death may come today, tomorrow, next week, any time. Why wait to live?

2nd: We think work will remain stable until retirement. Another fallacy. The economy rises and falls. Technology disrupts. No job is safe forever.

The way forward is balance. Save enough for the storm, but do not postpone living. Tomorrow is not promised. While the sun still shines, make our living and live our life.

Perfectly said. In kopitiam, you can see many delusional ktards looking forward to earn 4m in their EPF by the time they retire.

Weird my target is by 52-55 archieve retirement savings target. Change job to enter level with zero stress to pass time. Lover salary 50% also spent mind 🤣😂

This post has been edited by g5sim: Sep 16 2025, 12:18 PM

got sell your ass la after this...got sugar mommy and sugar daddy after this

Friend Maybank manager in his 40s was fried sotong during MCO.

Another working at high keras hotel also fried sotong, now driving grab

40s is dangerous zone for ordinary kulis

Well said 👍🏻

I think here the issue is already 50s' still got multiple kids depending on them.

Moral of story here dont make kids after 30. If u do make kid u got to live a tier below your income group. For example T20 salary but live like M40. If u maintain t20 lifestyle u gonna get fucked when u lose your job around 50 y.o

Most pipul in late 40s to 50s, resistant to change. Upgrade yrselves, keep up with current trend and tech, make yr value higher by mixing with right pipul on different level and industry so can widen network and skills. Dun be complacent as well.

Unker keep moving forward until skills irreplaceable so in high demand. If want advise, PM.

Nothing new really, it's a SOP for companies especially if you earned 5 figure to fry your sotong once you reach 40s. If not fry sotong will be transfer to another place until you cannot cope anymore you fry the boss instead.

I got manager who married late. 55 years old and 2 kids still studying in secondary school, 1 go to Monash Uni.
Everyday kena shoot by the big boss, I would've quit if the same language they use on him was used on me.
But everyone know hard for him to get another similiar job with that kind of pay, and how badly he need that job, that's why bosses no issue targetting him.

This post has been edited by Mixxomon: Sep 16 2025, 06:19 PM

Another guy I knew working for a Ang Moh MNC, sometimes he gets sent to overseas means he gets two salary at once with over 5 figure a month. When mid 40s kena fry sotong, now open furniture shop to support himself.

After 50 is time to plan for the last day before retirement.

Still want to search for job meh?

This post has been edited by CoffeeDude: Sep 16 2025, 07:48 PM

Another guy his father owns substantial shares inside the company he is working, so he gets high ranking post, but was "retired" due to health reasons lol. Lucky his father rich, now shake leg at home.

Many people when they reach 40–50 still never upgrade their skills. They still rely on old connections and old ways of doing things, but today’s work trend is different, especially with AI becoming so important. Instead of learning and improving, some just waste time every day having tea with the same useless people.

its not as easy as you think.

skillsets and system knowledge can get obsolete very quickly.

Could be that the person also being transferred to a dead end role.

For eg, my friend took up the role thinking that it is good for his future, mana tau kena con by employer then work dead end role...

then MCO came a few months later..could not move

after 3 years, market slow and bad

then Russia-Ukraine war

then Tariff war

suddenly 50yo already

start to do MLM? insurance? Mutual fund agent?

laziness is human nature, even youngster now also just spend most of their time watching tiktok, youtube, xhs, fb reels

This post has been edited by anakkk: Sep 16 2025, 08:57 PM

huh? furniture shop can make money meh?

how he got the connections and exprerience ?

hotel and airline industry are high risk during MCO.

what is that?

depends on the industry.

HR and Accountancy don't have much connection to introduce

My friends in the construction and machinery maintenance field have more opportunity in this.

Job security is a thing of the past and there is no guarantee in life. One should live within means and not trying to over commit i.e. high maintenance life style, sports car, big banglo.. ofc unless these are just less than 10% of total asset.

This post has been edited by lock_82: Sep 16 2025, 10:23 PM

actually can wan, just how buddy2 you are to whoever who moved to another company and whether they can influence the HR to hire you

That's why I live frugally so that in the event I got no job, I got passive income coming in.

Having your own income stream is a kind of protection for oneself.

with AI replacing senior workers risk zone is already become 30's

He selling imported USA brand furniture

I also kena fry during MCO, from 2019 to 2023, used up 100k savings just to lead a normal life, buy food, buy groceries, car petrol road tax insurance, Shopee shopping etc

At 50, one should already established oneself in ones industry. Experience, knowledge and connections.

Im in early 50s, just got an offer with a 20% salary bunp.

Like Liam Neeson character in Taken, I have a particular set of skills. Skills I have acquired over a very long career.

I really dont want to work over 50yo..
But i took a mortgage with my company until retirement age (60). Need to save fast enough to get out of the loan before my target retirement year

Ok. I will start worrying after 1 decade.

>50? After 45, you are no longer competitive enough liao; worse if you are still stuck in mid level. LOL.

At 40s, only purchase a house / property on loan if you already have that amount in your investments. Don't stress yourself with 'potential future income' to cover the loan. Chances of retrenchment, role being obsolete / redundant is pretty high the older you get. You might be the best employee in the company today, but down the road there is always a younger, cheaper version of yourself going to fill that role of yours.
There is no such thing as 'company needs you to survive'. The moment you are a burden, off you go.

We used to have this saying when working in MNC ‘you are as good and successful as your last achievement!’…..

if you is sacked or lose job by 50 you can retired already... EPF money sudah dapat, then just living a simple life only..

apa lagi mahu kejar?

Dunno what to say... My friend got VSS and got rehire by the same comp after 1 yr.... She very lucky

There is another pattern forming in silence, one that escapes most people. A generation before us often chanted: “Don’t be loyal, loyalty doesn’t pay off.” This advice was passed down to their younger generation.

Because of this conditioning, today’s workforce does not easily stay loyal. The cause and effect of the past is shaping the cause and effect of the present. Now, due to the scarcity of loyalty, SMEs and some corporations have come to value loyalty, especially from capable people—more than anything else. Under current market conditions, those who have remained loyal for 15–20 years find their positions deeply anchored.

What dumbfounds me is how this notion of “loyalty” has crossed over into personal human relationships. You can see the same trend running in parallel: modern relationships are no longer as loyal and faithful as in the old days—they mirror the same conditioning we see in the workplace.

This is why when /ktards make fun of KKM seringgit or raise the payment to higher, they fail to see that there are some people who have fallen on hard times who will need healthcare from the government.

I wouldn't say conditioning, people are just simply reacting to the environment.

They saw how loyalty did not matter during retrenchment. They saw even corporate giants can fail. They saw the consequences of putting all eggs in one basket, and they adapt accordingly.

some people have commitments
children’s college fees, house mortgage

fancy sports car, expensive travel vacation and many more, nothing short of distraction in life.

This thread resonates alot as I am almost 50. I have lost my job twice throughout my career. Each time I found another new role based on my qualifications. I am grateful for that !! Any regrets so far ? Not alot as I have been very frugal for the past 25 yrs. This is something I inherited from my parents. I drive a Toyoda when I can afford a conti ..but do I feel deprived ? Nope, as material wealth doesnt bring me satisfaction…I cherished a simple life..I wanna go back to the 80s when life is much simpler back then …

This post has been edited by LDP: Sep 17 2025, 09:21 PM

2 things you need to do before 50.

1) Master your working skill. A skill that the company have to depend on you. Even the boss have to listen to you. Be creative. By 40, you should able to perform and teach the young.

2) invest and invest. Be equity, bond or ETF. Learn how to invest and use profit to invest. By few yrs, you don’t need to pump money anymore. The more early you invest, the more secure you’re before 50. Even can retire early. Investment can generate income for you when retire as a work to occupy time.

Either loss 1, another can cover you.

Job hunting is never easy.
Ageism is a real thing, discrimination happens even at companies that tout to be equal opportunity hire.

Even moreso now because of combination ATS + Ai as a first line filter aka Ai recruiter/interviewer...they are moving in this direction.

I agree with TS 100%

He is just giving a reality check.

I echo his views with similar examples happening in my circle of contacts / personal experience.

Only because the msian labour market visa requirement not easy. Visa is tied to employer and many conditions. But don't know how long this can last, once they relax requirements plenty of PRCs, Indians, Indons, Pinoys will come and work for cheap and no more company loyalty when can hire them 50% lower than locals. Plenty of case in SG as they visa requirement much easier compare to us, people work same company ~10 - 20 years hit manager earn SGD5-8k. Suddenly SME lay him off hire Msian for 25% less.

And this is not including older ppl who get taken advantage of pay RM1.7k minimum wage because boss know they got no choice. Loyalty my foot.

This loyalty you talk of is illusion. Maybe for those companies where boss himself build business from scratch they value their long time employee, but once next generation take over especially if they have never worked there they will restructure and fire the those expensive old timers.

My bad. I agree the better wording would be as per you said, " reacting to the environment".

This observation on the last line is accurate. The present generation often fails to see the value of the previous one, just as it fails to see the consequences it leaves for the next. Our society struggles to perceive cause and effect across generations. Yet all these things still follow the law of cause and effect—only on a longer cycle.

Ageism works both ways. All things equal, why should a 50 year old be given priority over the 25 year old for that Junior clerk position?

There is another dreadful mindset I’ve noticed—some individuals believe that promotion or advancement in rank should come automatically with age, rather than through merit or capability. This kind of thinking is dangerous, both to the individual and to society.

For the individual, it creates complacency. They stop learning new tasks or taking on new roles, thinking to themselves: “I’ve reached this level, I’ve already suffered enough; now it’s the younger generation’s turn to go through what I went through.” But without realizing it, they risk being overtaken by younger and more capable peers.

For society, I’ve personally seen this in government agencies. Capable people are often held back, while promotions are given out simply based on age. The result is that some retire with the highest possible salary—not because they were the most capable, but because they stayed long enough. To me, this feels unfair to the nation and its people. In the end, we end up paying the highest salaries / pencen by default, not by contribution.

Not only in government, in private a lot of boomers in the top management and refuse the idea of even appointing a successor because they want to hold the company hostage to keep their jobs longer.
In the end the company get destroyed by the competitor. Anyways those in the top already extracted enough money from the company. Major victims are those in the middle.

This post has been edited by Mixxomon: Sep 19 2025, 12:13 PM

my company still regularly hires people over 65yo. I have a few 70yo coworkers.

This post has been edited by Skylinestar: Sep 19 2025, 06:41 PM

Another guy during his younger years lead a lavish lifestyle cos his dad's rich. After his father fall ill, his older brother took control of family finance & kick him out. Now he's living paycheck to paycheck every month around RM 2900.

she 50yo ?

it depends where you are

some engineering and construction specialist can work after retirement

for eg, my dad worked until 73yo due to his expertise.

for some fields like HR and Finance can say bye bye.

This post has been edited by hoonanoo: Sep 20 2025, 07:28 PM

CCP co set up MNC here, usually hire 50% of the staffs to be their own people, most top management are their own people.

Our Msia immigratin also never check one.

52-53....

Young time before 40 is the time to hustle and save and invest. Many chase lifestyle assuming they will be employed until 65. Until reality hits.

Can't blame them. Women want to see sukses. Family also compare sukses. Acquaintance also ask drive what car, do what job. Wives also compare sukses of husbands during high tea. So men are trapped. All chase lifestyle.

this friend of mine, after retrenched he was able to do some business, sustaining lah.

But after 3-4 years suddenly he was struck with cancer.

He didn't want to admit it, but the cancer sure affected his business as he wasn't able to go out to see his clients.

rehired at same pay???

Yup...she was very happy and satisfied
Got few hundred thousand compensation, enjoy life for 1 yr, comp come rehire her back same pay same position

wah co so stupid one.

wah co so stupid one.

Sometimes Mgt thinks certain position can be rehired. So there is only two option - swallow your ego or continue to hired new replacement.

Profit paling penting 😁

malaysians can't just sit at home and claim benefits after getting retrenched?

no NHS or public healthcare?