Putrajaya – The Minister of Human Resources, V. Sivakumar, strongly advocates for local businesses to create more job opportunity and additional employment prospects for local workers by actively engaging in initiatives such as providing on-the-job training programs.
These programs aim to enhance the skills of the workforce, thereby leading to improved earning potential and ultimately raising their living standards. By empowering local workers through skill development, businesses not only contribute to the growth of the economy but also foster an environment of upward mobility and improved quality of life for individuals and their families, he said.
He stated that private enterprises need to collaborate with the ministry to improve the overall economy and employment environment of the country for the benefit of the people.
He made these remarks after meeting with Datuk Seri Dr KK Chai, the President of Kuala Lumpur Chinese Assembly Hall (KLCAH).
Datuk Seri Dr KK Chai stated that KLCAH currently has 108 organizational members and over a thousand individual members, many of whom are SME entrepreneurs and business owners. Therefore, KLCAH will also cooperate with the Ministry of Human Resources to further promote various employment measures and create job opportunities.
Datuk Seri Dr KK Chai, also the Founder & Group Executive Chairman of KK Group of Companies, he emphasized that currently over 80% of the group’s employees are locals, which provides significant support to the country’s labor market.
KK Group has always prioritized employing local workers and provides them with opportunities for self-improvement during their employment, including arranging skill enhancement courses to secure their career prospects and increase their wages, he said.
“Upskilling while being employed is crucial for employees. With higher qualifications and skills, they can further develop within the group or achieve better achievements elsewhere.”
He pointed out that employees’ skills enhancement aligns with the government’s vision to have 35% of Malaysian workers become high-skilled employees by 2030. In line with the Ministry of Human Resources efforts to optimize employment measures, KK Group will continue to provide more job opportunities for locals, including transforming the “3D” industries, which are dirty, dangerous, and difficult, into high-income jobs, thus reducing reliance on foreign labor.
“To achieve this goal, workers in relevant industries need to continuously progress, especially in the field of technical and vocational education and training (TVET), to accumulate experience and knowledge and become highly skilled workers.”
He believes that local companies are ready to accept more local employees, and he encourages young people from rural areas, from the estate or East Malaysia, to consider employment in private enterprises as one of their future goals. This would also allow more local businesses to reduce their dependence on foreign labor.
KK Group’s subsidiary in Kolkata, India, will also collaborate with the Ministry of Human Resources when they begin to employ Indian workers. Last week, India’s Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedhara revealed that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Malaysia for recruiting Indian workers will be finalised soon.
As the Chairman of Ti-Ratana Welfare Society also, he mentioned that Ti-Ratana ready to accommodate more elderly individuals in need and assist families in need. They will also hire more caregivers, which will contribute to increased employment opportunities in the country and reduce unemployment rates.
