A former MP for Klang has urged ministries and state governments to follow the lead of the federal plantation and commodities ministry’s hiring mandate prioritising technical and vocational education and training (TVET) graduates over migrant workers.
Tagging the prime minister and deputy prime minister in a series of posts on X, Charles Santiago said the effort must be “all-of-government”, with ministries creating direct pathways from training to jobs.
“This is how we cut migrant dependency, build skills, and make TVET an attractive and promising path for the youth. This is the time for the government to exercise leadership.
“This is an opportunity to upskill more TVET students in ways that directly meet industry needs,” he said.
Santiago said the Cabinet should also mandate that GLCs and their vendors hire TVET graduates and set their minimum wage at RM3,000.
Yesterday, plantation and commodities minister Johari Ghani said companies must provide the ministry proof of their efforts to hire TVET graduates before they are allowed to employ foreign workers.
“We’re currently facing a situation where many industry players are unwilling to hire graduates who have completed their training.
“They’re reluctant to give these students the opportunity to gain practical experience because they prefer the easier route,” he said at the Dialog@MPIC session in Kuala Kangsar, Perak.
Johari said his ministry aimed to train around 250 TVET students each year for the plantation sector, placing them according to the specific needs of the industry.
He said the plantation sector currently relies on nearly 260,000 migrant workers.
