Diploma holder Azrolnizam Sidek has heeded Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s challenge to youth to take up “dirty jobs”.

In turn, Azrolnizam, too, has challenged the home minister to raise wages for the 3D (dirty, difficult and dangerous) job takers.

Azrolnizam, who took on the job cleaning drains at a cement factory in Negeri Sembilan two weeks ago, said the RM800 a month he is getting is barely enough to survive amid the rising cost of living.

“I have accepted his challenge to take up a 3D job... I now challenge Zahid to increase the wage of 3D workers from RM800 to a more reasonable level,” he said.

As part of his new job, Azrolnizam said, he and his team have to clean drains making up 8km in total length each day.

The 24-year-old, who is holds a diploma in business management, also rebutted the statement made by Zahid’s daughter Nurul Hidayah, who claimed that youths in the country are too lazy to take up 3D jobs.

“The youths aren’t lazy as claimed and I have proof (from my experience), for those working with me include a student who has just completed his SPM,” he said.

Azrolnizam said he had also worked as a waiter before, when he was still in school.

Skilled in photography

He has also previously worked as a graphic designer in Kuala Lumpur but had to quit in November last year to take care of his ailing father.

He is also skilled in photography and works part-time taking pictures, particularly wedding photography.

However, as such jobs are seasonal, Azrolnizam has taken up the extra job of cleaning drains.

Azrolnizam said his photography work can be found on his Instagram site, @azrolnzam.

The government has been embroiled in controversies over jobs and wages as a result of its plan to bring in migrant workers from Bangladesh.

Defending the move to bring in the Bangladeshi workers, Zahid challenged youths to take up 3D jobs to make his point.

However, suddenly, just a day after the Malaysian and Bangladeshi governments signed the labour deal, the intake of migrant workers was temporarily suspended, pending a review by Putrajaya.