01/01/2025

WEDNESDAY | JAN 1, 2025

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‘Update varsity curriculums based on industry needs’

12 sites proposed for housing plan

MALACCA: The Malacca government has proposed 12 sites to the Housing and Local Government Ministry for the People’s Residency Programme in the state. Housing, Local Government, Drainage, Climate Change and Disaster Management senior executive council member Datuk Rais Yasin said the proposed project would involve the construction of 2,394 housing units. He said the sites are in Lendu involving 160 housing units, Machap 600 units, Tun Kudu 300 units, Pondok Batang 130 units, Nyalas 50 units and Paya Rumput 280 units. The remaining sites are Lesung Batu with 320 housing units, Asahan 160 units, Masjid Baru 50 units, Sungai Udang 120 units, Durian Tunggal 80 units and Sungai River 144 units,” he told the state assembly yesterday. He was responding to a supplementary question by Siti Faizah Abdul Azis (BN-Sungai Rambai) regarding the implementation of the housing project. Responding to the original question by Datuk Mohd Noor Helmy Abdul Halem (BN-Duyong) regarding the state government’s initiative to encourage the development of affordable housing in urban areas, Rais said a quota policy for home ownership had been introduced. He said developers are required to allocate up to 50% of developments exceeding 4ha for land-based housing or 2ha for multi-storey housing for the construction of affordable homes. “This policy applies to housing developers across Malacca, except the Malacca Straits Waterfront Economic Zone.” – Bernama Energy Efficiency Act comes into force PUTRAJAYA: The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act 2024 (Act 861) and the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Regulations 2024 come into force today. The Energy Commission said enforcement of the law and regulations is an important milestone towards realising the National Energy Transition Roadmap and making Malaysia a more energy-sustainable country. “Act 861 is applicable in Peninsular Malaysia and the Federal Territory of Labuan, and was gazetted on Nov 26, 2024.” Act 861 consists of 10 main sections which include the obligations of energy users and is extended to the regulation of energy-using products. The main points outlined in the Act include the obligation of energy users with energy usage equal to or exceeding the threshold of 21,600 Gigajoules per year to implement an energy management system. – Bernama RM3m in dengue compound fines issued JOHOR BAHRU: A total of 6,642 compound fines involving more than RM3.32 million were issued by the Johor State Health Department last year as a result of enforcement actions for the prevention and control of dengue fever. Johor Health and Environment Committee chairman Ling Tian Soon said of the figure, only 65% had paid the compounds. “The cumulative dengue cases in epidemiological week 52/2024 were 13,190 cases, an increase of 22.2% compared with the same period last year, which was 10,794 cases. “So far, 20 deaths have been reported, compared with 22 deaths during the same period last year,”he said in a statement yesterday. Ling advised the community to carry out activities to destroy Aedes mosquito breeding sites inside and outside their premises. “We will continue our monitoring and enforcement action to stamp out dengue,” he said. – Bernama

o Institutions should act quickly by providing graduates with relevant skills to address underemployment: MEF

Ű BY QIRANA NABILLA MOHD RASHIDI newsdesk@thesundaily.com

PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) is calling on the government to establish a national-level strategy to regularly update university curriculums based on industry requirements. Its president Datuk Dr Syed Hussain Syed Husman said institutions of higher learning (IHL) should review the courses offered and drop irrelevant and outdated ones. “As of the third quarter of 2024, some 1.95 million Malaysians were facing skills-related underemployment. “This indicates that a significant portion of tertiary-educated graduates are employed in jobs that do not fit their qualifications. “This underemployment now affects 36.8% of the country’s tertiary-educated workforce, and the MEF is concerned that the mismatch between our graduates’ skills and job requirements poses challenges for them and employers.” Syed Hussain said technological advancements, changing market conditions, and new business models are causing an evolution in the demand for specific skills. Hence, IHL in emerging economies like Malaysia should act quickly to reflect such changes through their curriculums to ensure graduates are equipped with skills and knowledge that are in demand. “Addressing skills-related underemployment is crucial for Malaysia’s economic growth as it ensures that the workforce’s potential is fully harnessed by local businesses and foreign investors, leading to enhanced productivity and competitiveness.” Syed Hussain said the industry is seriously concerned over the competency levels of graduates who do not seem to have the specific technical or soft skills needed in the workforce.

Syed Hussain said there is a critical need for enhanced collaboration between institutions of higher learning and employers to ensure graduates possess the required skill sets. – BERNAMAPIC

three to four years based on a programme’s duration.” Suriyani said to help students transition into careers that match their qualifications, IHL ensure that the entry requirements for each programme align with learning outcomes and course objectives, right from the application and programme offering stages. “This alignment helps ensure students are equipped with skills and knowledge that meet academic standards and industry requirements, facilitating a smoother transition into having sound careers.” She said removing any programme calls for thorough analysis, particularly of student enrolment and whether the courses have been active or otherwise for more than two years. Suriayni said instead of outright removal, UiTM might opt to enhance the programmes with updated, industry-driven requirements. “UiTM has also established an academic appointment management system involving an industry advisory panel and alumni representatives to discuss current workforce needs and essential skills for employees. “This ensures that the institution stays aligned with industry demands and prepares graduates with the relevant skills,” she said.

“Having IHL regularly updating their courses in consultation with industry stakeholders will improve their graduates’ employability,” he said. Syed Hussain added that there is a critical need for enhanced collaboration between IHL and the industry to ensure that graduates possess the required skill sets. “To a certain extent, the IHL in Malaysia produce graduates with some skills that are required in the job market, but they fall short of requirements. “This is proven by the fact that skills related underemployment exists as a major problem, and from the statistics, IHL need to relook the relevance of their courses in tandem with job market requirements.” Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) academic development director Assoc Prof Dr Suriyani Ariffin said government intervention is critical to streamline educational offerings with job market needs. Doing so can help ensure that academic programmes are aligned with industry requirements, promote skills development, and address gaps in the workforce. “Additionally, the government can strengthen its role in facilitating collaboration between industry, academia, and society. “UiTM typically review our courses every

Call for redefinition of B40, M40 and T20 groups KUALA LUMPUR: A latest study by Khazanah Research Institute (KRI) has found that the current classification of the Bottom 40 (B40), Middle 40 (M40), and Top 20 (T20) income groups does not accurately reflect the true economic stratification of Malaysian households. the World Bank’s demarcation of B40/M40/T20 from the Ninth Malaysia Plan to the Eleventh Malaysia Plan for almost 15 years, from 2006 to 2020. “Most policies equate B40 to poor households and M40 to middle-class or ‘aspirational households’. “This middle M50 is not the middle class and remains vulnerable.” KRI said consequently, it would be more accurate to assert that only the Top 30% of households are in the middle-class or aspirational class, rather than the previously assumed 60%.

KRI called for the redefinition of classifications for targeted policies, urging policymakers to move beyond outdated categories and adopt an integrated expenditure framework. “Interventions such as targeted subsidies for education and healthcare, along with job creation initiatives, are crucial to improving the economic stability of the M50 group, enabling them to transition into aspirational consumption and fostering upward mobility.” KRI also urged the government to prioritise the B20 group with policies that ensure access to affordable housing, food, healthcare, and other basic necessities. – Bernama

“These demarcations may not be entirely accurate since the households within these ranges do not exhibit similar consumption characteristics,” it said. For instance, it noted that the consumption pattern of the group between the B20 and the T30, referred to as the M50, appears relatively homogeneous in that such households are still experiencing trade-offs between necessities and more aspirational products. “Those households demonstrate only minor differences from the B20 group. Some households may eat out, send their children to tuition classes, or spend more on household furniture.

Instead, the findings revealed that only the Top 30% (T30) income earners exhibit middle-class spending patterns, while the Middle 50% (M50) – the group between the B20 and the T30 – remains economically vulnerable, experiencing trade-offs between essential and aspirational expenditures. “The findings raise an important question about the validity of the current household demarcation of B40, M40, and T20 adopted by the government,” KRI said in a statement yesterday regarding its latest working paper titled “Searching for the ‘Poor’ and ‘Middle Class’ in Malaysia” published on Monday. KRI said Malaysia has consistently followed