Malaysians can't cope due to low education level: Najib

KUALA LUMPUR: Low education level is one of the main reasons why Malaysians cannot cope with the high cost of living, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak (pix).
Najib, who is also the Finance Minister, said the rakyat should give priority to more education which opens the gateway to better, higher-paying jobs rather than stop pursuing their studies after the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM).
"If our highest education is only at SPM, without degree, diploma or other specific skills, we will not be able to get jobs which give better income," he said.
"We should think farther. We want more rakyat to have better education qualification," he told the Dewan Rakyat.
Najib was responding to a supplementary question from Dr. Noor Azmi Ghazali (BN - Bagan Serai) who had asked if Malaysia's cost of living was calculated based on suitable living standard.
Noor Azmi in posing his question said the issue of cost of living was being misinterpreted and wrongly discussed.
"If our dream is too high until it exceeds our capability, it will pose an issue in the cost of living," he said.
Najib, who is the Pekan MP, said the government is committed to improve the standard of education among Malaysians so that they can face the economic challenges of today and financial burdens that come with high cost of living.
"With better qualification, our income will improve. Therefore, we must sow our seeds in pursuing higher education and skills to get good jobs," he said.
Meanwhile, Najib said the PAS-led Kelantan government was among the highest recipient of federal aid totalling RM400 million last year to improve the people's standard of living.
"It is not a small amount. Therefore, it is up to the state government to distribute the allocation well by conducting programmes beneficial to the rakyat," he said in reply to Nasrudin Hassan (PAS-Temerloh) during Question Time.
Nasruddin had asked the government whether the federal aid channeled to the Kelantan was directly given to the state government.

"It is up to the state government to use the allocations for their own programme to help the rakyat," he told Nik Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz (PAS-Pasir Mas) who asked whether the federal government has any intention to replicate the green kitchen initiative, similar to the one introduced by the Kelantan state government.