The Federation of Malaysian Business Associations stated that a blanket work-from-home policy could cost the Klang Valley hundreds of millions of ringgit a month, emphasizing that these losses are expected to be 1.9x to 2.9x higher than the projected savings of widespread work-from-home arrangements.
Perks have vanished, in-office mandates are on the rise, and layoffs continue even as profits hold up - changes that reflect a system that prioritizes shareholder returns over stakeholder capitalism and corporate loyalty. With job openings thinning, wages struggling to keep pace with inflation, and AI looming as a threat to entire occupations, the recalibration is altering how advancement and compensation are determined inside companies.
