24/06/2026

WEDNESDAY | JUNE 24, 2026

5

‘Entrenched public scepticism undermines TVET potential’

Document tampering not ruled out

KOTA KINABALU: Elements of tampering in several documents linked to the late Zara Qairina Mahathir cannot be conclusively ruled out, the Coroner’s Court was told yesterday. Forensic document examiner Dr Linthini Gannetion, a certified handwriting expert with a PhD in Forensic Document Examination from Universiti Sains Malaysia, cited removed pages, different ink types, obliterated writings and inconsistent dating patterns as the basis for her findings. “Based on my observations, the removal of pages, differences in ink types in certain parts, the presence of obliterated writings and differences in the dating pattern of certain pages mean that elements of tampering in Y1 to Y15 cannot be conclusively ruled out,“ she said. Documents marked Y1 to Y15 were confirmed as pages torn from the “Love and Peace” diary believed to belong to Zara Qairina. The diary contained only 106 ruled pages against 228 in a reference book of the same type, indicating mass removal, while different tear marks suggested the pages were not removed in the same manner. Linthini, the 74th witness in the inquest, said she could not conclusively identify the writer of several pages due to insufficient handwriting samples from the same period. However, writings on pages Y10B, Y11A, Y11B, Y12A, Y12B, Y13A, Y13B, Y14A, Y14B, Y15A and Y15B showed significant similarities with Zara Qairina’s handwriting from February to mid-April 2025. She also noted that while Zara Qairina rarely dated her journal entries consistently, almost all pages in Y1 to Y15 were dated, except Y8B and Y13B. – Bernama

Aw the employability rate did not tell the full story, flagging uneven instructor quality across institutions and curricula that have failed to keep pace with industry. “What is still missing is consistency,” he said, adding that some programmes continue to teach outdated technologies due to inadequate infrastructure and weak industry linkages. “This leaves some graduates with skills that employers have already moved past, particularly in areas such as artificial intelligence and electric vehicles,” he said. He described the overall effort as “trying to fill a bucket that has a slow leak” – real progress, but against a backdrop of rising demand for skilled workers. Aw said much of the improvement was attributable to work-based learning schemes such as ADI, under which trainees spend between 70% and 80% of their training period working within actual companies. He also cited the Code of Practice for TVET Programme Accreditation, developed jointly by MQA and skills department, as a mechanism for raising institutional standards. “When every institution is held to the same high bar, with skilled trainers and modern facilities, we stop producing just certificates and start producing the workforce Malaysia genuinely needs,” he said. “There is still plenty of work left to do, and no one should pretend otherwise,” he added. cautioned that

“Companies need to step forward and play a role in developing skilled talent. After all, these workers will support their businesses in the future,” he said. He pointed to Akademi Dalam Industri (ADI), which embeds trainees directly within companies, as a model for how employer institution collaboration can raise graduate outcomes. “The 95.9% employment rate is possible when students are enrolled in industry-based pathways such as ADI,” he said. Tan said elevating TVET was non-negotiable if Malaysia is serious about becoming a high income, technology-driven economy. “A nation cannot build advanced industries with university graduates alone. It also needs a strong foundation of highly skilled technicians, technologists and technical professionals,“ he said. Assistant professor Aw Yoke Cheng, a TVET panel assessor with the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) and assessor to both the Skills Development Department and the Technology and Technical Accreditation Council of the Malaysian Board of Technologists, agreed that the perception problem remained a significant hurdle. “No amount of policy reform will fix that unless we actively change how society values technical careers,” he said. He added that, however, young Malaysians appeared to be making the shift regardless.

o Negative perception of technical careers needs to be changed; companies must play role in developing skilled talent, say observers

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

459,558. Despite the numbers, observers say winning over parents remains a formidable challenge. “Parents today are still sceptical of TVET education. “This is due to the long history that tied TVET to low-end jobs with low-paying salaries. “Technical and vocational education is synonymous with plumbing, electrical wiring, mechanics and cooking,” said Penang Deputy Chief Minister II Jagdeep Singh Deo’s science adviser Datuk Dr Bugs Tan. Tan, who formerly headed TVET Skill Education at ViTrox College, said industry must take greater ownership of talent development rather than ceding the role to government and training institutions alone. labour laws. He urged platform operators such as Grab and Foodpanda to introduce mandatory rest breaks, heat alerts through their applications, safe waiting areas and the right for riders to temporarily suspend work during periods of extreme heat without facing penalties or account deactivation. Santiago also pointed to China’s example, where nearly 200,000 labour union stations provide outdoor workers with drinking water, rest areas, charging facilities, meal heating equipment and cooling support. “Malaysia should explore similar heat shelters and rest points for delivery riders while developing a comprehensive National Heat Action Plan to address the growing risks posed by rising temperatures,“ he said. “We cannot pat ourselves on the back for passing the Gig Workers Act if it fails to protect workers from heat stress. The law should be reviewed to ensure greater protection from climate change,“ he added. Santiago stressed that extreme heat should be legally recognised as an occupational health hazard rather than treated as ordinary weather or a matter of personal responsibility, and called on platform companies to invest more in rider welfare. Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Arthur Joseph Kurup said last week that temperatures could reach up toto 37.5°C, with El Nino expected to take effect from July through the first half of next year and rainfall potentially dropping by as much as 40% during the period.

PETALING Technical

JAYA:

Malaysia’s

and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector has posted a 95.9% graduate employability rate, drawing cautious praise from experts who warn that entrenched public scepticism and inconsistent training quality continue to undercut the sector’s potential. The figure was announced by Deputy Prime Minister and National TVET Council (MTVET) chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi on May 28, alongside data showing that 56.86% of SPM school leavers, or 229,121 students, had chosen TVET as their first option, bringing total nationwide enrolment to

Protect gig workers from extreme heat, urges ex-MP

BY QIRANA NABILLA MOHD RASHIDI newsdesk@thesundaily.com

PETALING JAYA: The government’s landmark Gig Workers Act has been lauded as a step forward for Malaysia’s 1.64 million gig workers but former Klang MP Charles Santiago said more needs to be done to shield delivery riders from growing threat of extreme heat. Citing findings that nine in 10 delivery riders reported working in hotter conditions – with symptoms including headaches, dizziness and fatigue – Santiago called for the legislation to be reviewed to incorporate stronger climate-related protections, even as he acknowledged the Act as a foundation worth building on. “For riders who are paid per delivery, there is no such thing as paid rest or sick leave. “If they stop working because of the heat, they stop earning. Yet the heat is only getting worse due to climate change,“ he said in a Facebook post yesterday. Santiago said many consumers remained unaware that the convenience of food and parcel deliveries often came at a cost to workers exposed to extreme temperatures for long hours, with limited legal recourse should they fall ill or choose to stop. While noting that the Occupational Safety and Health Department had introduced heat stress guidelines in 2016, he said voluntary guidance alone was insufficient – particularly as delivery riders were not recognised as employees under existing

A plume of smoke can be seen at the site of a fiery multi vehicle crash along the North-South Expressway yesterday. – SOCIAL MEDIA VIRAL PIC

Trailer driver killed in six-vehicle highway crash

BY THE SUN TEAM newsdesk@thesundaily.com

reportedly confirmed that the incident involved six vehicles – a Dong Feng container lorry, the trailer, a Toyota Hilux, a van, a 10-tonne lorry, and a one-tonne lorry. He said four other individuals involved in the crash escaped without injury, while the drivers of the Dong Feng container lorry and the 10-tonne lorry could not be located.

his 30s, was pronounced dead at the scene after sustaining critical injuries. The trailer he had been operating, which was hauling a load of fence iron, was almost completely engulfed in flames, with around 80% of the vehicle destroyed by fire. Kulai Fire and Rescue Station operations commander senior fire officer II Khairil Mohd. Adzami

PETALING JAYA: A trailer driver lost his life following a multi-vehicle collision involving six vehicles on the North-South Expressway (southbound) at km31.9 near Sedenak-Kulai, Johor yesterday morning. The male victim, believed to be in