IPOH, Oct 16 — Job opportunities created through current and upcoming development projects in Perak must be filled by local workers rather than foreigners in order to boost the local economy, said Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad.
He said the matter was raised during the Northern Corridor Implementation Authority (NCIA) meeting chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yesterday where reports on ongoing and upcoming development plans in Perlis, Kedah, Penang and Perak were presented.
“We found that these are very good development plans because our goal is to make Perak and the other three states prosperous.
“The state government must ensure development projects generate employment for locals to enable them to earn steady income and, in turn, boost the local economy,” he said.
He said this to reporters after attending the launching of Why IESG (Inclusive Environment, Social and Governance) & IR (Industry Revolution) 5.0? Seminar 2.0 at the Meru Casuarina Hotel here.
Saarani said this is why the state government always emphasises planning development in a way that creates job opportunities for local.
“When they have jobs, they earn stable incomes, which allows them to spend. When people spend, other sectors of the economy will naturally grow.
“But if the workers are not locals, their consumption patterns differ — they might not eat local food or buy products commonly used by locals,” he said.
Thus, Saarani said all employment opportunities created in Perlis, Kedah, Penang and Perak under the NCIA should be filled by Malaysians, particularly locals from the respective states.
However, he acknowledged that not all Malaysians were interested or suited for certain kinds of jobs.
“For instance, in Perak this year, I was informed that only 28,000 students will be sitting for SPM. That means next year there will be about 25,000 school leavers. Will all of them enter university? No.
“This is why the state provides Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) opportunities, but if school leavers are not interested in pursuing them, Perak could lose potential talent.”
“The talent gap must be filled. If the people of Perak don’t fill it, investors will have to bring in workers from outside — from China, Indonesia, Myanmar, or elsewhere. Foreign workers will then come to work here, and that is not good for the growth of the local economy,” he explained.
Saarani also reminded the public not to misunderstand the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Industrial Revolution 5.0 (IR 5.0), stressing that these technologies are meant to empower human abilities, not replace them.
“There should be no fear that AI or Industry 5.0 will cause people to lose jobs, that’s a misconception,” he said.
Saarani said the state government continues to collaborate and apply emerging technologies in all development initiatives.
“We cannot hold on to nostalgia for old methods. People have already moved forward, and technology is changing every moment,” he said.
