No security for the Security Guard

Mention ‘security guard’ in Malaysia, and one would get an imagination of an old man in a black pants and light-brown shirt or blue shirt, opening and closing factory gates, or one who is just sitting, idling by on a chair. And one would also imagine that the security guard is low educated and not capable of doing other jobs. And that is the perfect security guard’s picture one gets in Malaysia. Additionally, one could even picture him sleeping on the job!

Well, ladies and gentleman, I beg to differ. And I speak from experience, having been in the security line for a good 6 years. And good years they were. Me, being a security officer, I enjoyed being in the company of the guards. They were a decent and jovial lot, offering to share their foods and their tasks with you. Their tasks with you? Well, yes. They will gladly offer their job to you for a while, so that they can leave the premises they are guarding, and go for a spin in the nearest town! What do we expect when they are required to work for twelve hours daily, and often more, when their replacements fail to turn up, and the security officer was unable to find a relief guard? Those are the times when they are, unfortunately, found dozing off.

Mind you, the security guard’s job is not just attending to the gates. He has to follow a set of instructions given by the factory concerned, and by his security company, itself. Different factories give out different type of instructions to the guards, but, basically, this is what is required of the guards.

1. He has to write down the particulars of visitors before he lets them in.

2. Lorries arriving to the factory are taken down of the particulars, such as that of the driver, the company he belongs to and the intention, be it be sending or picking up goods.

Some factories require the guard to inform the clerks on duty before he lets in the visitors or lorries, failing which he will get a good scolding. Poor guard! He may have lapsed in his duties due to the coincidental arrival of visitors and lorries at the same time. While he was attending to a lorry, a visitor could have slipped in! No! The factory will not accept the excuse. They will straight away phone the security company, and he will be transferred to another place, the next day!

Well, you didn’t picture this security guard, did you?

One palm oil processing company requires the guard to climb on top of the tanker, through a built-in ladder on the ground, and cut off the seals from the partitioned tank lids. He, then, climbs down the tanker and gives the cut seals to a person at the counter, where the tanker stands. On a busy day, more than 20 tankers arrive at the factory! The poor guard will be tired but he will carry on with the job.

You didn’t picture this security guard, did you?

In another factory, dealing in Industrial gases, the guard has to go up the lorries to count the number of empty gas cylinders coming in and the number of filled cylinders going out. He is answerable to any shortcomings! He goes on doing this security risks to earn a living.

You didn’t picture this security guard, did you?

As mentioned earlier, different factories have different requirements from the guards, but did they stop to ponder that they are, in fact, exploiting the poor guards. And the guards are surrendering themselves for a pittance of 600 to 700 ringgit Malaysia, for 12 hours work, daily! In Taiping, anyway. What about in other small towns?

The Malaysian government has been made aware of the low wages that the guards are taking home, through the normal and alternative media. But nothing has changed. It can build tallest tower in the world, can build state of the art bridges, can enter F1 races, can send men to explore the space, but, ironically, can’t arrange for the guards to be given a decent salary!