Govt wants to change mindset of people from being job seekers to job creators

KOTA KINABALU: The government wants to change the mindset of the people, particularly the younger generation, from being job seekers to job creators through their involvement in the field of entrepreneurship.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak said entrepreneurship was among those components that can strengthen the ability of the younger group to generate wealth and consequently, open up job opportunities for others.
"We (government) must increase the involvement of the younger generation by focusing on four components, namely education, skills, leadership and entrepreneurship towards efforts at strengthening them.
"At today's programme, the entrepreneurship sector is the focus, for a paradigm shift in the mindset of the young, so that the dreams and aspirations of no one is limited to just seeking for a job.
"We are going to change the point of view (of the younger generation) from becoming job seekers to job creators," he said when launching the Gathering of Rising Entrepreneurs, Act Together Programme (Great) 2017 here today.
Also present was Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Raymond Tan Shu Kiah, who is also the state Industrial Development Minister and Treasury Secretary General, Tan Sri Dr Irwan Serigar.
Najib said the government was always considerate in respect of developing a sound ecosystem environment for the entrepreneurship and business sector through the education system, apart from providing various incentives to further develop the involvement of youth in it.
"It includes programmes such as the Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Centre (MaGIC) and the Global Entrepreneurship Movement (GEM) introduced by the government as part of the continuing efforts.
"The entrepreneurship programmes provided by the government is to prepare the new generation, who are not merely salaried, but want to be creators of jobs and capable of generating wealth for themselves and the country," he added.
"We are a responsible government and have an agenda for the young people of Sabah and the country. We want the younger generation to feel that the future (of the country) belongs to them and the Transformasi Nasional (TN50) is about them," he added.
The two-day Great entrepreneurship programme here from today, and the third after Kuala Lumpur and in Kuching, Sarawak, has attracted about 5,000 entrepreneurs.
An initiative of the Finance Ministry and National Department of Entrepreneurship Development with the cooperation of MaGIC as well as the state government, it is a platform for entrepreneurs to build knowledge, receive advice, support and other forms of assistance from the various agencies involved.
Sabah was picked as host, based on its strong, dynamic economy, as well as innovative, young and potential entrepreneurship talent in the state. — Bernama