PUTRAJAYA: The government will now focus on resolving an apparent “mismatch” in the employment market, Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali said today.
According to the Economic Affairs Minister, seven out of 10 graduates currently were from humanities courses, despite the fact that six of 10 vacancies require technical and vocational skills.
“So we have to review our education system as to how the output will be able to meet industries’ demands. That will be our focus,” he told a joint press conference after strategic discussions between the Economic Affairs Ministry and Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry (MoA) here, in which MoA minister Datuk Salahuddin Ayub was also present.
Mohamed Azmin was responding to media queries on the outcome of the special Cabinet meeting on Workers Day on Wednesday, called with a focus of discussing solutions to create more openings in the employment market.
According to Mohamed Azmin, Wednesday’s meeting, attended by ministry secretaries-general as well, only discussed two working papers, one each presented by the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Human Resources.
Media reports stated that the special meeting, held in conjunction with Workers Day, was chaired by Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and coordinated by the Economic Affairs Ministry.
In another development, Salahuddin, when asked about Dr Mahathir’s statement on night paddy planting, opined that the prime minister’s statement should not be taken literally.
“I think it was more of grounded talk (bercakap dalam lapik bahasa) really by Tun (Dr Mahathir) for us to be more innovative, to think of better methods to move forward,” Salahuddin said.
Yesterday, the prime minister was reported to have suggested for paddy to be planted at night, in what is read as a sarcastic response to the attitude of choosy Malaysians to the extent of rejecting work in the outdoor heat.
Dr Mahathir then went on to say that the government has plans to introduce an after dusk work policy, particularly for sectors deemed unattractive by locals. - Bernama
