A recently promoted Malaysian professional has voiced concerns over pay equity after discovering their salary matched that of junior staff members with less responsibility.
The disgruntled employee shared his experience on Threads, explaining how a recent promotion to senior executive position came with a disappointingly small salary adjustment.
The worker later discovered the new compensation was essentially equivalent to what junior executives were receiving.
“My promotion to senior executive should have been cause for celebration, but the minimal salary increase left me disheartened—especially after learning junior executives are earning virtually the same amount,“ the employee wrote in the social media post as reported by mStar.
While compensation packages typically reflect qualifications and professional experience, this case highlights ongoing concerns about wage compression in Malaysian workplaces, where the gap between entry-level and more experienced staff narrows despite differences in responsibilities.
According to the report, the employee directly confronted management about the situation, expressing frustration that the modest increase barely offset additional tax obligations resulting from the promotion.
“I expressed my appreciation for the career advancement opportunity but also made it clear that, as a human being, I couldn’t understand why my compensation matched that of junior staff members,“ the employee stated.
Despite raising these concerns, the worker claimed that management had failed to provide any explanation or resolution after two months, eventually leading them to abandon further inquiries about the matter.
The situation reflects broader workplace tensions where newer hires may negotiate competitive starting salaries while longer-serving employees often face stagnant wage growth despite increasing responsibilities.
