Singapore Airlines from Malaysia: the KL walk ins, the causeway commute question and how Malaysian crew handle living in Singapore
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#1 Malaysian, SIA training now, and the Malaysian applicant group asks me the same things every week, so here it is: the KL sessions, the living question, and what the Malaysian crew I have met in the batch and the accommodation say.
The Kuala Lumpur walk ins
SIA holds sessions in KL regularly, usually at a hotel, and they are large: 300 plus is normal because the SIA name in Malaysia is enormous. The format is the standard walk in: registration and height check (158 for women, 165 for men, measured barefoot), a group round, cuts, a one to one English interview, cuts, and a final round. Malaysian candidates are strong on English and on service backgrounds (the hotels, the Malaysian airlines, the cafés) and the competition is between us, not against a weaker field.
The Johor question
The question every Malaysian asks: can I live in Johor Bahru and commute across the causeway? The answer from the crew is: technically some do, practically it is miserable, and the airline expects you to be within reach of Changi for standby. The causeway at 5am is unpredictable and a standby call with a two hour report is not compatible with a border crossing. Most Malaysian crew live in Singapore in shared flats in the east and go to Johor or KL on days off. The ones who tried the commute gave up within a year.
Living in Singapore
Expensive, and the housing allowance covers part of a shared flat in the east. Malaysian crew share with each other and with the other regional crew. The ringgit to dollar rate makes the salary strong in Malaysian terms and most crew send money home. Food is the one thing that is affordable, and the hawker centres are where the crew eat.
The work pass
The company arranges the employment pass for Malaysians and it is routine. The passport needs validity. The medical is done in Singapore at the appointed clinic.
The training accommodation
Provided for the training period, shared, near the training centre, with a Malaysian cohort in every batch. The four months are intense and the Malaysian trainees form a group fast. After training you find your own place.
Malaysia Airlines versus SIA, honestly
Malaysia Airlines is home, KL as a base, ringgit pay, and a national carrier culture. SIA is the name, Singapore as a base, dollar pay, the audit culture and the long promotion path. Most Malaysian applicants want SIA and take Malaysia Airlines if SIA does not come, and a few years at Malaysia Airlines is a strong background for the SIA walk in later. Both are good careers. The difference is the currency and the ambition.
Ask me anything about the training from the Malaysian side.
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#2 SIA, and the Johor answer is exactly right. The airline does not forbid it but standby makes it impossible. The Malaysian crew who last live in Bedok and go home on days off.
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#3 Adding for the Malaysians: the KL sessions are more competitive than the Singapore ones because everyone in Malaysia turns up. If you can, do the Singapore session. The ratio is kinder.
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#4 Filipino at a regional carrier and the Malaysian experience at SIA mirrors the Filipino one: the housing is the hard part, the food is the easy part, the money home is the reason.
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#5 @evelynsin the Singapore session tip is the one I wish I had known. I did KL with 350 people. Passing it back to the group.
