22/06/2026

MONDAY | JUNE 22, 2026

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Boost public healthcare budget, govt urged o Coalition of 60 groups to submit memo

Graduate jobs mismatch pressing issue, says academic PETALING JAYA: Nearly two million graduates are trapped in jobs below their qualification level, a far more damning measure of higher education outcomes than unemployment figures, economist and former university provost Geoffrey Williams said. Williams said the biggest issue facing graduates was underemployment as they leave universities burdened with debt and accept whatever work is available, regardless of whether it matches their qualifications. “Unemployment is low, but underemployment is high. This is the measure to watch. Almost two million are in this category, more than one third of all graduates,“ he told theSun. Data from the Department of Statistics Malaysia showed that 1.96 million tertiary educated Malaysians were in skill-related underemployment in the third quarter of last year, making up 35.5% of employed degree and diploma holders. Graduate unemployment, by comparison, stood at just 3.2% in 2024. Williams said graduate employability should not be treated as a measure of university success. “Graduate employability is not a good measure of university success because if businesses do not supply graduate-level jobs, universities cannot do anything about that.” He rejected the notion that universities should primarily function as workforce training centres, even as industry associations continue to highlight the gap between academic output and labour market needs. “The fact is that universities are not training centres – they are not set up to train graduates for the labour force. Most academics have never worked outside of a university and do not know what employers want.” Williams said traditional employability measures fail to capture whether graduates are actually securing graduate-level positions. “Traditional employability statistics are already irrelevant because they do not show that graduates have graduate-level jobs. “One big mismatch for universities is that they prepare graduates for formal contracts that do not exist in large enough numbers.” Citing Higher Education Ministry tracer studies, he added that about 90% of graduates worked for employers while only 10% became entrepreneurs – a ratio he said was poorly suited to the realities of the modern economy. “In a world of artificial intelligence, gig economy and micro-enterprises, employment will be more informal. World class universities are preparing people for that and Malaysian universities need to catch up.” Williams also said the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) played an important role in maintaining quality across the sector. He said without the agency’s oversight, standards in higher education would deteriorate. On June 14, MQA chief executive Prof Datuk Dr Mohammad Shatar Sabran said Malaysian higher education met international standards and dismissed claims that declining standards were behind graduate employment difficulties. He also said strong academic results alone were no longer sufficient and graduates must equip themselves with additional skills to remain competitive. – by T.C. Khor

further hikes until adequate public hospital alternatives are available. The memorandum further proposes higher taxes on private hospitals benefiting from medical tourism, with revenue channelled to public healthcare. It noted that Penang recorded more than 527,000 foreign patients in 2025, generating over RM1.1 billion in revenue while government hospitals continued to face funding and staffing constraints. The coalition said austerity efforts should target wastage, leakages, luxury government spending and non-essential mega projects before healthcare and education budgets are cut. Among the organisations backing the memorandum besides PSM are Aliran, the Consumers’ Association of Penang, the Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism, Islamic Renaissance Front, Muda, Sahabat Alam Malaysia, Women’s Aid Organisation, Undi18 and several health, student and community-based groups. regulatory framework that supports high-quality development while facilitating the creation of more sustainable cities. Nga also revealed that Malaysia has more than 500 million square feet of green-index buildings, which is another testament to public private partnerships to promote the Sustainable Development Goals. He added that PAM will be invited to participate in the review process to ensure industry expertise and professional insights are incorporated into the proposed reforms. He also highlighted that the ministry is studying the High Court decision allowing certified architects to submit applications for development orders to cut red tape, reduce costs and expedite the process. Earlier, Nga was conferred the prestigious PAM President’s Award in recognition of his efforts in strengthening collaboration between the government and the architectural profession to advance the country’s built environment. He is the fifth recipient of the award in PAM’s 102-year history. Previous recipients include former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. In support of PAM’s continued efforts to promote architectural excellence and public appreciation of good design, Nga also announced a RM30,000 contribution from the ministry towards the Kuala Lumpur Architecture Festival 2026. – Bernama

budget cut of about 10%, while assuring that core healthcare services would not be affected. With the ministry allocated RM46.5 billion under Budget 2026, the reduction would amount to about RM4.65 billion. The coalition argued that Malaysia continues to spend below the level needed to meet growing healthcare demands. It said any savings should be reinvested into healthcare and education instead of being removed from those sectors. “The country’s public healthcare system requires greater investment,” it said, reiterating its call for public healthcare spending to reach at least 5% of the GDP. It also opposed funding cuts to university hospitals, citing fee increases of up to 233% at University Malaya Medical Centre from Jan 1 last year and said university hospitals play an important role in providing a more affordable alternative to private healthcare, particularly in urban areas. It also called for a freeze on

to MPs over proposed cuts which may worsen shortages in manpower, facilities

Ű BY T.C. KHOR newsdesk@thesundaily.com

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opposition. The coalition questioned how savings of RM4.65 billion could be achieved solely through measures such as reducing overseas courses, hotel events and development projects, as reportedly outlined by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. “The government must provide a detailed and transparent breakdown of the proposed cuts, including the categories involved and the amount of savings expected from each category,” it said in a statement signed by 60 non governmental organisations and five individuals. On April 30, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the ministry was expecting a

PETALING JAYA: A coalition of more than 60 civil society organisations will submit a memorandum to MPs tomorrow urging the government to increase, rather than reduce, public healthcare spending as the system is under strain. The groups, under the Save Public Healthcare System Campaign, are opposing a proposed cut of about RM4.65 billion to the Health Ministry’s 2026 allocation, saying it may worsen shortages in manpower, facilities and essential resources. PSM central committee member Gandipan Gopalan told theSun that the memorandum, led by Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj, would be submitted to MPs from

Housing Ministry to review building certification framework KUALA LUMPUR: The Housing and Local Government Ministry will undertake a comprehensive review of the Certificate of Completion and Compliance (CCC) framework and the wider development approval and certification ecosystem to support sustainable urbanisation and ensure the regulatory framework remains responsive. Minister Nga Kor Ming said the ministry will establish a dedicated task force to conduct a holistic assessment of the CCC framework, which was first introduced nearly two decades ago in 2007 as part of a major reform of Malaysia’s building control system. “The review will focus on reducing unnecessary bureaucracy, enhancing efficiency through digital integration, closing regulatory loopholes and strengthening service delivery while safeguarding public interest,“ he said in his speech at the 2026 Malaysian Institute of Architects (PAM) President’s Awards and 102nd anniversary annual dinner on Saturday. He said the reforms are aimed at creating a more transparent, efficient and business-friendly

Nga (centre), who was conferred PAM’s President’s Award, said a dedicated task force will be set up to conduct a holistic assessment of the CCC framework. – PIC COURTESY OF NGA KOR MING FACEBOOKPAGE