20/02/2025

THURSDAY | FEB 20, 2025

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Impact of minimum wage hike on education P RIME MINISTER Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s Budget 2025 announcement of the minimum wage increase from RM1,500 to RM1,700 has received mixed reactions across various economic sectors. graduates will benefit from salary increments and career progression, whereas minimum wage workers often face wage and professional development stagnation. These growth elements are limited in a country’s human capital development, particularly when the population is primarily in entry-level positions. Thus, the university environment provides youths with a nurturing and productive surrounding for developing leadership potential and pushing the boundaries of innovation, leading towards the national agenda of a knowledge economy. COMMENT By Prema Ponnudurai and Dr Joseph Malaluan Velarde and ultimately improving their professional prospects and overall quality of life.

PRINCE Karim Al-Hussaini, Aga Khan IV, hereditary Imam of the world’s 12-15 million Shia Ismaili Muslims, died recently in Lisbon, Portugal. What a life he led. The Aga Khan (Great Khan as he was universally known) was born in Geneva, Switzerland and spent much of his flamboyant life jet-setting around Europe and North America. His charming, much younger sister, Princess Yasmin, attended the International School in Geneva with me. The young Aga Khan went to the world’s most exclusive boys’ school up Lake Geneva, Le Rosey. I did not want to go there because it was for boys only – though many of them were princelings from the Arabian Gulf (still not changed yet to the “Trump Gulf”). Karim’s ostensible religious mission was to aid and lead the scattered Ismaili community in Asia, North America and Africa. However, he spent much of his time racing fast cars, throwing opulent parties and hobnobbing with movie stars and other gorgeous women. Not so strictly Islamic. In some ways, the Aga Khan resembled that other world-famous playboy and bon vivant , Fiat’s Gianni Agnelli. I was on a Mediterranean sailing cruise with a bunch of Le Rosey graduates. Everyone called me “the spy” from the international school, their traditional rival. I rudely called them a bunch of rich sissies. We sailed to the newish Sardinian harbour of Porto Cervo, recently built to resemble an ancient-looking fishing village worthy of Disney Studios. Prince Karim, a Rosey graduate, invited us to his home for lunch. The Aga Khan returned to his youth, as we all do when reunited with our schoolmates. He turned out to be a charming man with a quick wit and a sharp sense of humour. Even he called me “the spy”. Bon vivant though he was, Prince Karim was also a talented businessman and organiser. His sect built hospitals, clinics, museums and homes for the elderly in Africa, Pakistan, Canada, Iran and southern Europe. Toronto was distinguished by an impressive Aga Khan Museum. According to legend, the hereditary Khan was given his weight in gold each year by his adoring supporters. No mention was made of his fondness for champagne, fashion models and Maseratis. The Khan managed to effortlessly balance all with grace and charm. Riches, he would say, are a gift from Allah. Later, I voyaged high up in Pakistan’s Karakoram Mountain Range to the remote Hunza Valley, which had become home of the Ismaili sect. Hunza was wild and beautiful, lost among snow-capped peaks. It is said that American author James Hilton used Hunza as his model for Shangri-la, the land where people never grew old or fell sick. There seemed to be a spirituality hanging over the valley. What amazed me was that the Ismailis were an ancient sect dating back to the distant era of the Crusades. According to legend, the Ismailis were based in the mountain fortress of Alamut from whence their relentless killers, armed with poisoned daggers, terrorised the entire Mideast. The assassins were heavily drugged with potent hashish, transforming them into killers. For a century, most leaders in the Mideast – Christian or Muslim – paid them protection money and quivered in fear before them. However, today’s Ismailis are peaceful and enterprising. Their Aga Khan was one of the Mideast’s best and most productive leaders. There are high hopes for his successor, son Prince Rahim al-Hussaini. Rest in peace Prince Karim. EricS. Margolis is a syndicated columnist. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com Farewell Aga Khan Ű BY ERIC S. MARGOLIS

Based on the World Economic Forum 2030 Future Skills report, there is a clear skew towards artificial intelligence, big data and digital literacy. Hence, minimum-wage job opportunities are vulnerable to automation and economic downturns, leaving unskilled workers at greater risk of job displacement in the long run. The development of human skills such as resilience, leadership, collaboration and the ability to learn is becoming increasingly crucial in a rapidly changing world. A university environment provides this growth, as a recent study by the University of Oxford highlights that self-formation empowers students to take greater urgency of their learning, enhancing their social mobility

The Minimum Wage Order, effective in February, has implications for the higher education sector as the new minimum wage will further narrow the gap between it and the salaries of fresh graduates. Education has long been viewed as a gateway to career success but recent trends in Malaysia have indicated a decline. As reported in the 2023 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examinations, 10,160 students (2.6% of registered candidates) did not sit for the exam. Additionally, statistics indicate that Malaysia’s university enrolment rate has been on a decline, with only 42.57% of eligible students enrolled in tertiary education, significantly below the global average of 51.98% in 2020. This figure is also much lower compared to countries like Singapore (93%) and the United States (88%). The Malaysian government’s decision to increase the minimum wage has sparked debates on the necessity of higher education. With SPM graduates now being able to earn a liveable income without tertiary qualifications, some are led to question whether pursuing a degree is still worth the investment. However, despite the wage hike, higher education remains a crucial stepping stone for long-term financial security and career advancement. While minimum wage jobs are quick wins in providing immediate financial relief, degree holders experience significantly higher lifetime earnings and additional benefits. Entry-level graduates earn between RM2,000 and RM3,000 per month, depending on the field, compared with SPM leavers earning RM1,700 to RM2,000. Over time, FOOD waste is a critical issue that significantly impacts the economy, environment and future food security for Malaysians. In Malaysia, the rate of food wastage is becoming increasingly alarming, yet no serious action has been taken to curb this problem. Therefore, it is crucial for us, especially the authorities and the government, to take effective measures to address this issue, one of which is by enacting legislation related to food and resource waste. Currently, Malaysia ranks fourth for food waste, with a rate of 81kg per capita per year, Laos has 97kg, Thailand has 86kg and Cambodia has 85kg, according to the latest report from the United Nations Environment Programme in 2024. A clear example of this is during the month of Ramadan , when it is increasingly common to witness millions of kilogrammes of food being wasted – 8.3 million tonnes in 2024 alone – by Malaysians, especially from restaurant operators, bazaars and households. The enactment of such a law is a proposed measure to reduce the amount of food discarded by households, restaurants and food businesses. LETTERS letters@thesundaily.com

In a time when societies are chasing paper qualifications, it is imperative for higher educational institutions to reflect on these statistics to pivot their strategies to remain competitive and relevant towards the future workforce and industry needs, to ensure graduate employment. Prema Ponnudurai is the director while Dr Joseph Malaluan Velarde is the deputy director of the Education for All Impact Lab at Taylor’s University. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com

While minimum wage jobs are quick wins in providing immediate financial relief, degree holders experience significantly higher lifetime earnings and additional benefits. – BERNAMAPIC

Need for legislative action to tackle food waste

to donate unsold food to charities. 0 Italy has introduced tax incentives for businesses that donate their surplus food. 0 South Korea imposes a fee on residents for the food waste they generate, encouraging waste reduction. In 2018, then chairperson of the National Development Plan, then deputy prime minister, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, voiced the need for a Food Waste Act. She stated that the government was considering introducing legislation to reduce food wastage. However, no action has been taken to date. The issue was discussed at the Dewan Rakyat. During a parliamentary session for oral answers, the MP for Kemaman, Che Alias Hamid, raised a question on the need for a Food Waste Act on Aug 3, 2022, to Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican. Unfortunately, less than two months later, parliament was dissolved (Oct 10, 2022). To this day, no official action or legislative drafting has been taken on this matter. Perhaps, the introduction of such an Act in the future would encourage the practice of donating excess food to the public, welfare centres or any NGOs for proper distribution, provided that the food is verified as safe, clean and halal . Noor Ismail Ahmad Basri

The main objective of this Act is to ensure more efficient, intelligent and sustainable food consumption while reducing the burden of waste in landfills, which also emit unpleasant odours due to food waste decomposition. Believe it or not, a significant portion of the wasted food comes from government subsidised staples for Malaysians, such as wheat flour, rice, sugar and packaged palm oil. With this Act in place, individuals and businesses can become more disciplined in planning and utilising food more efficiently, thereby reducing food wastage. Better food management can lead to significant cost savings for households and businesses. Less wasted food means more savings, which can be allocated to other essential needs. Food waste dumped in landfills contributes to the emission of greenhouse gases like methane, which has a foul smell. By reducing food wastage in the long run, we can also lessen the negative impact of global climate change. Food wastage is not only an economic loss but also has a severe impact on environmental sustainability. Greenhouse gases released from decomposing food waste in landfills are major contributors to climate change. In efforts to reduce food waste, many countries have introduced various initiatives and policies. For example: 0 France has passed a law requiring supermarkets