Emphasis still on subsidy, Malaysia@Work isn’t a long-term solution for youth unemployment

Ensuring our youth will have more opportunities for on-the-job training and career advancement would be a better option in settling the youth unemployment problem on a long-term basis, as only knowledge and capability high higher chances at securing employment.

Although Prime Minister Tun Mahathir Mohammad may have announced a government RM6.5 billion allocation for the Malaysia@Work scheme, the fact that the programme is still centred around a wage incentive or subsidy, shows that the Pakatan Harapan government is not committed towards a long-term solution for the youth unemployment problem. Neither has it been listening to people’s feedback on the issue.

Many organisations have recently given their input on the issue, but regrettably all have fallen unto the government’s deaf ears.

PH should emulate the previous Barisan Nasional government’s various incentive programmes in encouraging self-development, to ensure that he or she is ever ready to handle the competition in the job market and not easily give up.

This programmes include MyBrain, the-jSL1M  and so on, to help, among others, under-graduates to further their studies.  

The wage incentive or subsidy provided by the current Pakatan government for  unemployed youth and employers is only temporary. The incentive is like a walking stick, once it is withdrawn, the youth will lose their direction and become unemployed again.

It is disappointing, especially among the youth, when Tun Mahathir did not include plans to provide young adults with more opportunities for on-the- job training and career advancement, in his billion ringgit Malaysia@Work scheme.

As it is, PH has never made in-depth study on the root cause of graduates and youth unemployment, which also  include qualification and market mismatch, inability to survive in the job market, over demanding and so on. Can all these issues be resolved through a mere one or two years wage incentive?

Daniel Wa Wai How
MCA Youth Secretary-General

-MCA online-