JOHOR BAHRU: The lure of the Singapore dollar is quite strong and a number of companies are losing their employees as they look for greener pastures across the causeway.

Some of the affected sectors are manufacturing, logistics, services, hotels and accounting.

Many non-technical staff have also opted for blue-collar jobs in the Island republic.

One may be earning a monthly salary of RM3,000 in Malaysia could likely get a job paying S$3,000 (RM9,857.05) in the republic.

This can be very attractive to many, no doubt. Some would rather lose their senior ranking here to work in a junior position across the border because the salary is still higher after converting to ringgit.

As the labour crunch hits the hospitality industry, key players are increasingly turning to innovative measures to retain and keep the employees happy.

Meanwhile the committee of the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH), Johor Chapter, created the HASA (Hotel Awesome Service Award) 2024, a first among the state chapters, to inspire quality service among hotel employees by recognizing and celebrating outstanding service provided to customers.

45 of them who were chosen by their respective hotel Human Resource Managers/Directors were present to receive Certificates of Excellence issued by MAH and gifts from Ivan Teo, chairman of the Johor chapter.

According to Teo, manpower is being challenged in Johor’s hotel industry as there has been an exodus of experienced hotel workers to Singapore, in preference of the favourable exchange rates.

Hotel, he says, need to think of ways to attract people to work and to remain in the Johor hotel industry.

Teo concurs that we can never compete with the salary in Singapore due to favourable exchange rates.

“Staff who feel that they are being taken care of by their bosses will choose to stay,” said Teo.

Furthermore, he said, they know that commuting to and from Singapore daily is not only tough and stressful, but it also takes away quality time with their family.

The HASA Award is unlike the usual Employee of the Year Award in that its criteria for winning is specific to the extra mile that hotel employees will go to ensure comfort or provide a memorable experience to guests staying at their respective hotels.

“The way we recognize them aims to value-add to their resume thereby distinguishing them within the industry, that would ensure longevity and growth in their hotel careers,” stressed Teo.

The year 2026 has been announced as Visit Johor Year 2026 with the state government targeting the arrival of 12 million domestic and international tourists to Johor.

In line with this, MAH Johor Chapter’s objective is to prepare for it by ensuring quality service are provided by member hotels, so as to leave unforgettable impressions on visitors.

Teo pointed out that the award will create greater awareness within the Johor community about hotel careers, raising its level of professionalism thereby attracting more talents, and ensuring they remain working in hotels.

He also mentioned that the HASA Award is non-competitive and out of the 17 hotel employees, 10 of the most outstanding champions will be honoured at the MAH Annual Gala Dinner which will be held on October 29 at Pulai Springs Resort.

He added that the additional factors for consideration for the invitation to the annual dinner would be the length of service, the number of training hours achieved, and the extent of exceptional service beyond the call of duty.

Petrus Leong, MAH committee member who created the HASA Award and a veteran in hotel training and human resources said the award will be an annual recognition programme for Johor’s hotel employees and will be enhanced each year to ensure its relevance and significance.

The Johor Immigration department director Datuk Mohd Rusdi Mohd Darus said the average number of daily travelers using the Causeway and Second Link had exceeded from the previous 400,000 daily to the current average of 430,000 to 450,000.