PETALING JAYA: Malaysians are not keen to work as security guards despite an attractive monthly salary of RM3,600 and the fact there are about 40,000 vacancies around.

The RM3,600 monthly pay fails to attract locals living in cities such as Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru, says Datuk Seri Ramli Yusuff, president of Persatuan Industri Keselamatan Malaysia (PIKM).

City folks are more interested in gig jobs such as delivery or dispatch which offer more flexibility, he told Sin Chew Daily.

Apart from working hours, salary is one of the reasons cited for locals not keen to be security guards.

Ramli said a local security guard with the background of a former policeman in Johor Bahru would opt to work in Singapore as he can earn up to S$2,000 (RM6,400) a month.

Locals were offered RM2,600 a month as security guards when the minimum wage was still capped at RM1,200.

They were also provided social security benefits and Employees’ Provident Fund contribution.

When minimum wage is increased to RM1,500 a month, the salary is also revised upward to RM3,600.

Still, there were no takers, Ramli said.

“Malaysia allocated 40,000 of headcounts for security guards from Nepal. Currently only 10,000 Nepalese are working in Malaysia,” he explained.

Many have since returned home, causing an acute shortage of security guards at this moment.

“That is why Malaysia is sourcing security guards from new source countries such as Bangladesh,” he said.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin reportedly said Malaysia had agreed to hire security guards from Bangladesh and Pakistan in addition to Nepal.