SUBANG JAYA, MALAYSIA - Those who are retrenched should look for alternative sources of income.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Senator T. Murugiah said that the alternative options included multi-level marketing products.

He said it was during an economic slowdown that people should try their hands on new ventures to survive.

"People do not see it but it is a profession where the longer it is, the more you will earn," he said after launching K-Link, a multi-level marketing company recognition award at Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre yesterday.

He was asked to comment on news reports that from January until now, about 28,000 have lost jobs, with an average of 2,000 to 3,000 workers laid off a month.

Some businesses are reported to have cancelled contracts and reduced demand, while factories and employers are cutting down on expenditure. He said he had received a call that 3,000 people have lost their jobs in a factory in Ipoh yesterday.

"With a small capital, those who lost their jobs could start a business in direct-selling," he said.