Why did the Kelantanese couple travel over 300km for jobs?

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The Kelantanese Couple's Journey for Employment

A young Kelantanese couple, Shah and Siti, undertook a journey exceeding 300 kilometres to Bukit Mertajam, Penang, in pursuit of employment opportunities. Their decision stemmed from a lack of viable job prospects in their home state and a belief that Penang's economy offered a more promising environment for securing work. The couple arrived in Penang with limited financial resources and faced immediate challenges in finding accommodation and employment, highlighting the broader issue of rising unemployment and homelessness exacerbated by the pandemic and movement control orders.
Limited Local Prospects and Economic Beliefs

Shah, 21, a Form Two dropout, and Siti, 19, a Form Four dropout, were married in April and found themselves unable to secure jobs in Kelantan. Siti had previously worked at a coffee shop, while Shah was an odd-job worker. Facing financial strain and not wishing to be a burden on Shah's family, they chose to travel to Penang, a state they perceived as having a greater concentration of businesses and shops, thereby increasing their chances of finding employment.
Initial Struggles and Resourcefulness

Upon arriving in Bukit Mertajam in early May with only RM100 in savings and two large bags packed onto Shah's motorcycle, the couple initially stayed with distant relatives for a few days. However, due to space constraints, they moved to a mosque for a period while actively seeking work. When job applications at various establishments yielded no success, they resorted to scavenging for recyclables from rubbish bins to generate income, earning between RM10 and RM30 on good days. Their immediate goal was to save enough money to rent a flat, a sum they were stashing in an empty portable gas tank.
Seeking Assistance and Broader Societal Impact

The couple's situation came to the attention of Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim, who subsequently arranged for them to stay in a hotel and then a rented flat, with Sim covering the rental costs until they find stable employment. Sim noted that Shah has since received several job offers. The couple's plight is emblematic of numerous cases encountered by local representatives, reflecting an increase in unemployment and homelessness. Sim himself receives a significant number of weekly requests for assistance from individuals nationwide who have lost their income due to the pandemic.
Community Support and National Unemployment Trends

The efforts of local representatives like Steven Sim and Machang Bubuk assemblyman Lee Khai Loon underscore the community's response to economic hardship. Lee's office, for instance, has assisted over 2,000 families with food and shelter since the first Movement Control Order (MCO 1.0) and provided food aid to over 200 families during MCO 3.0. They have also mediated with landlords to prevent evictions. These local interventions occur against a backdrop of national unemployment figures, which saw a substantial increase of 42.6% between August 2019 and August 2020, with the total number of unemployed persons reaching 741,600.

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Why did the Kelantanese couple travel over 300km for jobs?

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