I need your help to comment on my essay for my job interview...thanks everyone...
'Bangla' is one of the common descriptions we use to describe foreign construction workers in Malaysia, irrespective if they are actually Bangladesh. The implied meaning attached to the word was that it meant that they were dirty, smelly, rude, etc. I stopped using this word since January 2011, the beginning of my life-changing experience.
Working holiday seems to be the best thing to do before we turning 30 years old. What I didn't picture is 'working'. Under the New Zealand working holiday visa, anyone who does 'specific work' defined under terms of visa will be given a second visa valid for another 3 months. Specific works include fruit picking or packing, farming and milking cows.
In January 2011, I began to work in a kiwifruit orchard located at a remote area of Bay of Plenty. "You have to work 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, wet or shine". That's what we were told by the kiwifruit orchard manager. Since then, my worst daily routine has begun...
I wake up at 5am to prepare lunch for the day, same as others who live in the workers' share house. At 6am, we arrive at the entrance of the orchard. We will then be sent to different orchards to start picking kiwifruits. Each one of us is given a big empty bucket, fill the bucket with kiwifruits, unload it into another big bucket and repeating the same action until the end of the day. With sore feet and shoulders, we have dinner together and go to bed very early to start the process again tomorrow.
Of course, working for 12 hours was just part of the day. Staying in the workers' share house and listened to their stories was one of the most enjoyable moments in my life. They were from all over the world, all ages, types, the diversity is unbelievable. Most of them have worked there for many years. They were hired by local labour contractor and earned lesser than what they should be earning. Like most of the foreign workers, they do not want any trouble. All they wish is to be paid fairly and treated with respect.
I left the job after 3 weeks, along with seven other Malaysians. We hate being exploited. We have brought the matter to the labour department, with a hope that foreign workers to be treated and paid fairly. Our matters were looked into seriously by the labour department. Finally, the company received warning letter from the department and being monitored closely to ensure that they won't repeat the same mistake again.
Since then, whenever I see foreign workers, their stories popped up in my mind. It reminds me to respect them. It's hard enough to leave their home country and work in other countries. Foreign workers deserve to be treated with respect and humanely. 'I fear no one, but I respect everyone".
'Bangla' is one of the common descriptions we use to describe foreign construction workers in Malaysia, irrespective if they are actually Bangladesh of the fact that they are with Bangladeshi nationality. The implied meaning attached to the wordthis term has beenwas that it meant that they wereworkers who were dirty, smelly, rude, etc.
