Latest news with #MalaysianBudgetandBusinessHotelAssociation
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
Johor hotels struggle to retain workers drawn to Singapore wages
JOHOR BARU: Hotels in Johor are facing a severe staff shortage, with some operating at half capacity, as local workers opt for more lucrative jobs in Singapore. Malaysian Budget and Business Hotel Association (MyBha) Johor chairman Jarod Chia said the situation has been worsening since the end of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2022. The shortage is particularly acute for front-of-house and housekeeping positions. The association's 246 members are operating with only half of the required manpower, which affects daily operations. The problem is worse during weekends, school holidays, and festive seasons when hotels have high occupancy. At these times, staff must rush to prepare rooms for guests. Chia said this could affect the "Visit Malaysia and Johor 2026" campaign. "The basic salary for budget hotel staff in Johor ranges from RM1,700 to RM2,500 per month, while in Singapore, the starting salary for the same positions is three times higher, at around RM6,000 per month. "Hotels in Johor are trying to offer additional incentives, such as extra allowances, but they still cannot attract local workers." Chia said each budget hotel with at least 50 rooms needs eight staff - four for front-of-house and four for housekeeping - to operate optimally. However, most are only operating with two or three staff for those positions. "The time to clean a room after guests have used it is between 45 minutes and one hour, depending on the size," he said. "Every time during the holiday season, hotel staff will face problems preparing rooms before guest check-in time due to the lack of staff." Chu Jing Yee, a budget hotel manager, said the severe worker shortage is a reality faced by various job sectors in the city that have to compete with offers from Singapore. While the shortage also affects the service and food and beverage sectors, she said the hotel sector in Johor is among the most severely affected. "We have put up various job advertisements, but local young workers, including those from other states, are more interested in working in Singapore because of the higher salary," she said. "Most of those working in the hotel sector in Johor are employees who have family commitments here, including those of middle age." Chu said there were still not enough workers to fill the vacancies. "The room rates for budget hotels in Johor start at only RM80 to RM150, depending on the type and size of the room, so we really won't be able to offer higher salaries (like in Singapore)," she said.
New Straits Times
03-06-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Govt urged to address unlicensed lodging or risk Visit Malaysia Year 2026's integrity
KUALA LUMPUR: The government has been urged to address the issue of unregulated short-term rental accommodations (STRA) and the unlicensed sale of lodging options through online travel agencies (OTAs) and social media platforms. Malaysian Budget and Business Hotel Association president Dr Sri Ganesh Michiel warned that failure to act immediately could jeopardise the integrity, sustainability and overall success of Visit Malaysia Year 2026 (VMY 2026). "The presence of unlicensed and unregulated STRA units, including apartments, condominiums and private residences converted into transient lodging, has created a parallel and illegal accommodation economy. "These entities operate outside any legal framework, do not pay licensing fees or taxes, are not subject to safety inspections, and undermine legitimate hoteliers and tourism players who have invested significantly in complying with national and local laws and regulations," he said in a statement yesterday. Ganesh said five key issues stem from the lack of regulatory oversight, including safety risks to tourists due to non-compliance with fire safety and health standards, as well as disturbances to residential communities caused by unchecked transient occupancy. Other concerns include loss of tax revenue for local councils and the federal government, distorted market pricing, disadvantageous law-abiding hotel operators and weak consumer protection, leaving tourists vulnerable to scams and unsafe premises. He said despite multiple complaints and discussions, unlicensed accommodations continue to be openly promoted and transacted online, including via major OTAs, classified sites and increasingly on social media platforms. Ganesh said MyBHA is calling for the setting-up of a high-level inter-ministerial task force led by the Housing and Local Government Ministry and Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry to introduce and enforce immediate regulations for all short-term rental accommodations. "This includes empowering local authorities to consistently and firmly enforce regulations and laws without negatively impacting licensed and registered hotel businesses and establishing minimum safety and operating standards for all accommodation providers," he said. Ganesh also wants the Digital Ministry and Communications Ministry to hold digital platforms and OTAs accountable for listings published on their portals, and enforce legal responsibilities for verifying licensing status before allowing listings. He also proposed the introduction of digital governance standards and penalties for platforms that facilitate illegal accommodation listings, including measures to prevent social media from becoming black markets for unlicensed stays, such as blacklisting, banning, and removing non-compliant (non-hotel) properties from digital platforms.
