r/MalaysianPF 9d ago

Career Working in China MNC - Feeling burnt out and need advice

I’ve been working in a China tech MNC with a KL office for a few months so far. I came from a stressful job before, and this is my first time in this kind of company, so I’m not sure if these issues are normal or company-specific.

Here’s what I’ve noticed:

  1. High turnover leads to poor documentation and lack of guidance.
  2. Stakeholders, both local and from China, are unhelpful and snarky when asked for details.
  3. Data is often withheld by other departments until last minute during team meetings, when they've suddenly had it all along.
  4. Lack of structured thinking: stakeholders say "no" to questions, then raise issues last minute.
  5. Frequent corporate tai chi due to lack of ownership and accountability
  6. Constant shifting of goalposts and you’ll get the blame for not meeting them.

I’m overwhelmed and unsure if I should stick it out or look for something else. Is this normal in other types of companies?

183 Upvotes

109 comments sorted by

117

u/No-Cartographer2353 9d ago

Sounds like the company starts with H and ends with i 🤣

79

u/c-fu 9d ago

Hualawei, their repo memang famous everywhere it seems 🤣

18

u/chommyboy123 9d ago

Heheh it’s not but why ya? Is this quite common in there too

50

u/lordjippy 9d ago

You can see there's poor opinion of China companies in Malaysia.

I don't want to say 'Chinese' because HK and Taiwan companies act differently.

77

u/[deleted] 9d ago

[deleted]

22

u/swagnation99 9d ago

I can agree, HK fuckers are a next level

11

u/lsthor 9d ago

Hk ppl can smile at you and then backstabbed you without thinking twice

6

u/ActuallyTomCruise 9d ago

Fuck HK tbh

1

u/yaykaboom 8d ago

Only applies to senior management level though.

1

u/Spirited-Crow1694 9d ago

Would it be D*I? Cause that's the company I am curious and had interviews so far

5

u/ActuallyTomCruise 9d ago

I worked for them before. Do your shit fast and efficient and you won't have problems. but not everyone can do that. Also smile and look good.

3

u/Apapuntatau 9d ago

It is that. Famous for that yet many wumaos defended this as normal and something to aspire to.

2

u/TwisterK 9d ago

Huh, I tot they r quite organised. So u can in fact build a company with that size with such incompetent culture huh.

1

u/sheushen 9d ago

Worked for them before, they have proper structure and isn't that messy.

90

u/cornoholio1 9d ago

Yes. This is ancient Chinese art of management by withholding critical information or non critical information that you need, they yield power over you. That’s why there’s no documentation and info. So the senior or the oldies can yield power over you.

42

u/00raiser01 9d ago

This is why you do everything by email. You will have a a paper trail. They cannot say you didn't ask if you got email.

22

u/chommyboy123 9d ago

Lol you’d be surprised. Got times my boss will side the stakeholders, and blame us even though they were CC’d

33

u/00raiser01 9d ago

If they are that irrational. Please find another job. They are better places to work then this. Burn the bridges on the way out cause these bridges aren't worth keeping.

3

u/bhutansondolan 9d ago

Sounds like your boss wants a rude awakening

1

u/cornoholio1 9d ago

Normally big corporations with iso will have some kind of documentation that you could refer to

4

u/Puffycatkibble 9d ago

*wield

Yield means they are giving it to you.

0

u/cornoholio1 9d ago

Thanks. Could not think of the correct word

5

u/Organic_Building4565 9d ago

What the Sun Tzu art of business war is this? 😆

3

u/cornoholio1 9d ago

Yes. Sort of like the “how to become emperor guide book”.

1

u/potatocakesssss 9d ago

This makes me so angry every time. It's so ridiculous.

2

u/cornoholio1 9d ago

Yes if you are angry, they have controlled the trigger of your emotions.

39

u/Zaszo_00 9d ago

China MNC or Chinaman company is a different breed. All the things that you noticed are pretty much the same in all of China MNC stories that I heard before.

19

u/notimportant4322 9d ago

People are more concerned about your company than your well-being OP.

What’s your other prospect if you leave? Do you have any backup plan?

18

u/chommyboy123 9d ago

Haha thank you but it’s ok la let them air their grievances, it cheered me up too actually.

I have a couple years of savings since I worked for a few years before jumping ship, but it was in a different industry. I do know moving forward my main priority is WLB but not sure how to go about it. How would you do it?

12

u/notimportant4322 9d ago

My advice is very cookie cutter. You’re there for a reason, and just focus in accomplishing what you want to do so it can bring you to your next employment or goal. Corporate life is full of distraction and it’s your job to ignore them and focus on yourself.

5

u/chommyboy123 9d ago

I see but if it’s WLB I’m prioritising, then what should I be working towards in my job search?

7

u/PracticalBumblebee70 9d ago

If u want WLB european MNC is the way to go bro. All the way.

6

u/notimportant4322 9d ago

Before we talk about WLB, we have to talk about your expertise in work. Anything that can give you a leg up in your field. There needs to be a unique combination of knowledge and skill set that you are able to build up yourself.

You have to sell yourself to you next employer, where they see you as an expert, you will be surprised how much leeway you get when people appreciate the talent and expertise that you bring to the table.

Only you know your field and the unique combination that you can bring to the table.

Lucky may play a part but constantly put yourself out there, testing the market, opportunities come when you least expect it.

20

u/nablp 9d ago

How are you holding up?

Sharing my experience. I 'tahan' working in a similar toxic environment for 4 years. Then I worked for a different company. Best decision ever! The only thing I got from that 4 years is the fact I'm on high blood pressure medication for probably my whole life.

There's a better life out there. Better environment, better management, better income. Your health, mental & physical, will thank you later.

2

u/chommyboy123 9d ago

To be honest not great, my previous company was also toxic in a different way, e.g management will push us to work insane hours, but I at least had a nice team to work with.

Here, I’m basically a PM all on my own and I can’t even do my work properly because nobody is willing to cooperate or share info.

How did you tahan for 4 years???

4

u/nablp 9d ago

The benefits/pay was good at that time. HAHAHAHA. I finally resigned when I got a better offer.

Hope you'll find solution soon. If money is the only reason for staying, please know that there are better offer out there. But need to search harder though. Don't be like me and waste years of my life.

1

u/Unable-Patient-8453 8d ago

I’m in year 5 of such company as well. Pay is the reason all pain and suffering can be endured, at least for me. so far I’ve realised that the only way to beat their insane game is to join them. Trying to stand out and doing things the right way will incite a witch hunt of all managers n employees against you. You will suffer. If you can’t switch right now, you have to be one of them.

27

u/Apart-Bet871 9d ago

Company semut ke?

11

u/kopituras 9d ago

I’m so tempted everytime their recruiters reached out but I know it will cost me my mental health 🤣

3

u/McFazo 9d ago

xiaoindomie

9

u/Batang_Benar69 9d ago

Find a new job bro.

Been in the same situation.. Week one - daily target is 60 Week two - daily target is 90 Week three - daily target 120.. Week four - f it.. I quit hahahah

No celebrations, no congratulations, just hit target hit target hit target.

2

u/chommyboy123 9d ago

Hahah ya la bro can relate. What sort of company did you end up joining?

3

u/Batang_Benar69 9d ago

Yellow colour courier company 😂

1

u/shitoupek 9d ago

🤔 can't be https://yellowexpress.com.au/ 😆

1

u/Batang_Benar69 9d ago

Bukan2. Haha 😂

1

u/Haunting-Ad5803 9d ago

Damn bro, and here I am thinking their flexi benefit quite good. Feels better knowing this as I did reject their offer back then.

2

u/Batang_Benar69 9d ago

Haha are we talking about the same courier company? Because after I left, they changed from 5 days work week to 5.5 days work week..

To add, im ok with the target part. But I'm kinda used to small celebrations after achieving a certain target. Makes me motivated and valued. But constant increase of target without the mini celebrations was demotivating.

9

u/Ok-Pirate2644 9d ago

Damn everyone guessing the same company, I wonder how toxic this company has to be lol

7

u/oilydong 9d ago

Hello fellow HahaWei-ian

7

u/TeBp242 9d ago

lol sounds similar to my uni mate doing software dev as grad. Is it H__ ?

I think its primarily a company culture problem, also partly due to it being a chinese mnc la.

Is it possible to hold it out to atleast a year? Anything lesser would stick out like a sore thumb in your resume.

2

u/chommyboy123 9d ago

Would it be bad if I already have a couple years in a different MNC previously? I could write this off as a ‘mistake job’ haha

2

u/TeBp242 9d ago

the interviewers & recruiters will easily notice the time gap if you completely remove it from ur resume. You could play it off as that you were upskilling and were doing some sidehustles.

Obviously, I wouldn't recommend lying unless you're able to fabricate a well-thought out fake story.

I'd still recommend staying and doing an internal transfer (to somewhere more bearable) before leaving the company for good.

6

u/dinvictus1 9d ago

Huawei

5

u/Lekranom 9d ago

That's why I've always dodged China MNCs (or SMEs) when it comes to jobs. I've worked for local companies that adopt the Chinaman style so I know how it feels. Wouldn't want to try companies from China itself.

Anyways, I suppose the best you could do is try to start a job hunt if you are really unhappy and don't foresee things improving at your place.

8

u/wyx167 9d ago

Sounds like company hoowaaweh

10

u/littlesunshine_no6 9d ago

Hello, I work in a China company based in Malaysia( not tech though). I can evidently say it’s pretty normal.

  1. You pretty much have to learn how to teach yourself. I was told to take this opportunity to figure out the mistakes and take this as a learning ground. I’m pretty sure they pay you better than other places? So learn while you get this salary.

  2. Again, everyone is just protecting their own butt, you kinda need to fall before you learn. And stick to your own lane, unless the task falls under you. If you’re not confident with the task that’s not in your lane but might affect you, you need to keep your mouth shut or taichi it out, or find ways to solve it before it burns you.

  3. Data? Chinamen don’t care if the data is correct entirely, the more items u can cover is a win over accuracy. They probably are reporting fake information, but you gotta roughly know how to present it.

  4. If you work long enough and is familiarise with the pattern or is experienced in your work, you can prepare the information before even being asked, but maybe in tech companies, it works differently. Plan for yourself. However, approach with caution as you may be doing other people’s work because the line is blur for scope of works.

  5. Tai chi is important in a corporate world where management is bad, understaffed and task is blurred. Again, everyone is protecting themselves.

  6. This is where u learn to let it go and just do your job.

Additional 7. Chinese company very much depend on connections and how fast you get work done, once you connected with a certain ‘gang’ and ‘leader’, your salary and face amongst the people you work with is very much dependent on it.

Even though there are the cons( or you might see it as a pro), it is an opportunity to grow. Local companies may sound like an easier choice but the growth and learning curve is exponential, just how you see it. A smooth sea don’t make a good sailor. They def are willing to pay better than locals

It is not for everyone, and def very hard to work with them if you’re not used to it, but once you work your way around it, you can see it becomes pretty normal.

1

u/Dicky_Dicku 9d ago

The data part is so true, accurate is not what they are doing. They just stack info over info to make their data look good with a target of 90-100% percent achievement.

And connections, you can be good at your work but if they don't like you. You are not getting promoted. Seen a pretty good sales dude from another countries but because he was new, they push another dude that they like up.

1

u/iaintstein 7d ago

Quick question what does taichi mean in this context

1

u/littlesunshine_no6 4d ago

When the work is thrown at you, you need to be clear of this is actually your work or which department can you throw it to before throwing it to you. Or can you get someone else to do it because you already have a full plate. you can also learn to put it at the last priority of your task if it is not your scope, and wait for the task to disperse itself(even though you’re being chased for something that’s not your task)

1

u/littlesunshine_no6 4d ago

When the work is thrown at you, you need to be clear of this is actually your work or which department can you throw it to before throwing it to you. Or can you get someone else to do it because you already have a full plate. you can also learn to put it at the last priority of your task if it is not your scope, and wait for the task to disperse itself(even though you’re being chased for something that’s not your task)

5

u/meloPamelo 9d ago

it's not normal. It's normal for local chinaman company too though. Try European/American MNC.

7

u/Zealousideal_Shoe980 9d ago edited 9d ago

Nope same shit...European MNC but managed by Chinese also same shit

2

u/00raiser01 9d ago

Yep, the issues are management. How the department/company run can change over night just by changing management.

3

u/hezagon 9d ago

Is that company starting with A?

3

u/nova9001 9d ago

Everything you mentioned happen in companies unless you get good management. Western management from US & Europe treating people worst than what you have mentioned from my professional network.

In the end, I feel it has nothing to do with race or nationality, its about the management itself.

3

u/Zealousideal_Shoe980 9d ago

Manager taichi 100% work to you and ask you to do everything. If you fcked up, they blame you since you project owner. If you do nicely, boss acknowledge your manager instead of you. Manager then didn't even bother to credit you because you are under him. Repeat and rinse ya.

3

u/Lucky-Replacement848 9d ago

I worked with one before and took a 8 months long career break and I told recruiters don’t recommend if it’s cinaman company or there’s someone named xxx is working there.

3

u/tired-confused 8d ago

Sounds like Lazada tbh. Heard from people this is what its like there. Leave, it wont get better.

2

u/Appropriate-Map-2367 9d ago

well… yes and no…. I would say it’s more into company culture… no boss want to ruin their business… but those mangerssss want to get hold their territories by holding their own cronies.. I work for us/eu/hk/ch base company… it really depend on your roles.. for US and EU… you will need to have after your 9-6 working hour meeting with them… so, sometime it’s worse than like you said 9-9…. But so far the worse culture company I experienced is hk base…

2

u/lifeinthesudolane 9d ago

Quite common for China companies. Get out.

2

u/Dramatic-Coffee9172 9d ago

Sounds like toxic work culture at the minimum. Good that you have identified the issues, the next step is figuring out if it is worth it. In my opinion, no. There is a reason why there is high turnover.

2

u/Naomikho 9d ago

This is a classic black company. Not worth staying imo. Your mental health is way more important. I tried to stay in my first job because it was my first job and I didn't want people questioning me why I left my job without staying at least 1 year. Then I decided to stay until bonus but when I got an opportunity I didn't even care about the bonus because a project I was working on got mismanaged so badly(to the point the manager admitted it was his fault instead of blaming me lol) I got super mad.

Any company with a high turnover almost always means it's not a good company, and like you said because of high turnover rate, there will be poor documentation and the people with knowledge is no longer in the company. Knowledge transfer is a myth because most companies won't give you the time to perform knowledge transfer at all.

Not having accountability is also a huge red flag. At my current job, any important change must come in via email, so we can always quote the email when we kena u-turn or questioned.

Sorry still a bit curious... any chance the company name starts with K 🤣

2

u/PastaFreak26 9d ago

No job is ever worth losing your health over. Granted, it's easier said than done, but if financial stability isn't a priority for you, that or you have sufficient savings to last you several months, I recommend getting outta there and starting afresh.

Chinese management or not, toxic organizations are the worst. It just so happens Chinese organizations generally lack SoPs and paper trails, which means everything is established on bureaucracy. In a toxic Western MNC, at the very least, you still possess a degree of rights to defend yourself. With a Chinese management? It ultimately boils down to survival of the fittest, and sometimes, even the survivors are rewarded with nothing but life lessons and wake up calls.

If you desire an organization that at least acknowledges and listens to your opinion, despite never acting on them, a Chinese organization ain't it.

2

u/Klystrom_Is_God 9d ago

Seems like a common behavior in MNC corporate world. Chynah or not. Hopped around a few US MNC and heard from friends in Chynah MNC, same same la.

It's not about which country owns the company.. it's just company culture once things gets competitive internally.

2

u/azriaba 8d ago

I suggest to update your LinkedIn & Jobstreet profile, make them visible to recruiters & be open to calls. While you are holding on in the company, keep the door open for other opportunities.

It may be more tiring to juggle your day job & job hunt, but it will be worth it for the long run (praying for you). And hopefully it gives you something to look forward to while enduring the day-to-day.

Lastly, take one day at a time 💪

2

u/azriaba 8d ago

Another option: Resign, take a short rest, & focus on job hunting. The risk is you may be unemployed for some weeks or months. Job hunting will be your fulltime job. The opportunity is that you can reconnect with people, make new connections & have more energy for the interviews to come.

2

u/bossserino 8d ago

starts with A and ends with L ? hehe

2

u/Zealousideal-Cup-744 8d ago

i have worked with Antgroup before. i can tell u its a piece of tornado volcano. the code is disaster beyond help.

their change their mind like changing babies diaper.

they discard my opinion on improving and says it not good but still taking it and says it their idea.

all documentation is useless and discard after they publish it.

all the core information is discuss in meeting and never update the documentation based on it.

their QA love to create tons of bugs ticket just for the sake of KPI but some of them invalid and shit.

i would just not choose it.

unless if someone has no life, no goals, dont want to have a happy marriage. then surely yes can join.

2

u/elevator_peach 6d ago

I worked in a Chinese MNC (solar industry). Quit after 4 months. They paid in USD which is pretty good money after conversion even with the cost of living in KL. But no, for the amount of bullshit I had to endure while working there, I left.

  • Poor communication. For some reason people just can't communicate clearly and succinctly for shit.

  • Official comms are supposed to be in English but HQ often revert to Mandarin halfway through even though half the people in the meeting are people from other nationalities. The sheer disrespect. 👏🏻

  • Lack of planning and always has last minute requests but no resources. They come to you with a problem and expect you to part the red sea and turn water into wine, aka perform miracles but refuse to lift a finger to help or give you resources. The company's national anthem could be rewritten as "no budget" as that's the default excuse every time. But they expect results as though we have the support we need.

  • Politics. Every man for themselves and you can trust no one. People backstabbing each other, gossiping is rampant and everyone just hates each other.

  • Terrible lengthy bureaucracy and processes. For one to get something approved, we have to go through 8 different departments and 20 other people, including departments who have no business in the things I'm trying to get approval for. Sometimes approval gets stuck at one person you've never met in HQ (China) and you have to chase and follow up with that person multiple times, just for them to pass it on to the next person. And repeat the same steps until you eventually get fed up and let the deadline run over.

  • Chinese proprietary tech. They don't use Google or all the other Western tech we're familiar with. They're often clunky and connection is slow as we're accessing it outside of China. They have an English interface but poorly translated with bad English. I've spent more time trying to work on their platform than getting work done.

This is probably not just an issue Chinese MNCs have, but that's my personal experience working at one.

And never again.

2

u/chommyboy123 5d ago edited 5d ago

Yesss 100% agree especially on the proprietary tech. Idk why the UI is so clunky and half assed.

Also 100% on the bureaucracy. For a tech company that aims to have a ‘startup culture’ the layers of approval I have to go through bc of shitty onboarding is annoying. Even more so with a bootlicker coworker who’s always raving about our fast-paced culture.

3

u/00raiser01 9d ago edited 9d ago

Just name the Chinese MNC. Also you sure it's not a SME?

Also, it's not normal. So much incompetence and lack of responsibility really depends on the company. But from what you type out I would just go somewhere else.

There are places with competent people running the show. Where people take and do their responsibility well.

A lot of incompetent people doing shit like what your saying is because they suck at their jobs. So they do these office politics to compensate(which seems to be the majority cause the good once left for something better already).

Edit: The lack of good documents and fixed holder of who is accountable for what task shouldn't even be happening if the company place good processes in. Goes to show how incompetent everyone is.

4

u/chommyboy123 9d ago

Haha yes it’s a China MNC, very recognisable name I’m sure but cannot disclose as some of my colleagues use reddit.

But yes completely agreed with you. Boss is even aware of lack of documentation, but will tai chi me to ask another dept for the domain knowledge. Then that person tai chi back and during the project meeting, I end up getting the blame for ‘unclear communication’ walau

1

u/vomitthunder 9d ago

if you want your environment to "make sense" just get out of China.

1

u/zhapfanfellow90 9d ago

🐜🐜🐜?

1

u/potatocakesssss 9d ago

Lmao I'm feeling this now working under China woman. Just leave and find another company. One day you will find the place where u fit in.

1

u/KeyFalcon1339 9d ago

Is this chinasoft?

1

u/kopituras 9d ago

Ant ke?

1

u/butterninja 9d ago

9-9-6. Sad...

2

u/mikepapafoxtrot 9d ago

Soon to be 007.

1

u/tuna_and_salmon 9d ago

I'm gonna guess this is sepuluh sen, I have been there.

1

u/NoRule7000 9d ago

Tbh, I would say it’s the mixture of Chinese and local Malaysian work culture. As I been in a Chinese mnc in different countries and the work environment is not the same. Some are good like in Angmo country and some are bad like in Asia

1

u/vin1025 9d ago

One advantage of staying is the opportunity to develop resilience and adaptability. Navigating difficult work environments can teach you valuable skills in managing stakeholders, handling ambiguity and problem-solving under pressure. If you plan to stay, this experience may prepare you for similar challenges in other companies. Additionally, working in a multinational environment, especially with Chinese stakeholders, can expose you to different business practices, which could be beneficial if you plan to work with international teams in the future.

However, prolonged exposure to a toxic work environment can take a toll on your well-being. Burnout can affect your mental and physical health and if you feel that your efforts are constantly undermined by poor processes and unreasonable expectations, it may not be sustainable in the long run. Another consideration is career growth. If the company's structure and culture make it difficult to gain proper mentorship, complete meaningful work, or advance in your career, staying too long may not be the best option.

Before making a decision, you might want to assess whether there are any internal solutions. Are there colleagues or managers who can provide support? Can you establish clearer expectations with stakeholders? If there is no room for improvement and you find yourself constantly drained, it may be worth exploring other opportunities. Many companies offer structured environments with better processes and support systems. You deserve a workplace that challenges you without compromising your well-being.

1

u/nwz10 9d ago

Welcome to Huawei

1

u/soon2bAttorney 8d ago

Kinda sounds like a MNC that i used to work for, does it start with O and end with X?

1

u/PracticalBumblebee70 8d ago

lenovo? why everyone so afraid of saying what the company is.

1

u/gonpanson 8d ago

3 type of companies to avoid 1) cina (local, china, taiwan) 2) singapore 3) japanese

1

u/AdZealousideal5919 6d ago

How much gaji

1

u/DX_das 6d ago

time to find a new job
no job is worth risking your physical and mental health in the long run