SHANGHAI: Malaysia underscored its regional leadership in skills development and green workforce readiness at the WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 Conference, reaffirming its long-standing commitment to elevating technical and vocational excellence.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim highlighted the country’s newly entrusted role to lead the regional green jobs agenda following the ASEAN Plus Three Labour Ministers Meeting in Bangkok.
"Malaysia was entrusted to lead the Regional Green Jobs Agenda for 2026 to 2030, which will help prepare our workforces for greener economies,” he said during his special address at the conference and expo’s opening plenary at the National Exhibition and Convention Centre.
"We have also championed cross-border recognition of technical certificates and piloted an ASEAN Digital Skills Passport that links certified training records across the region,” he said.
Anwar, who is also the finance minister, cited Malaysia’s National Semiconductor Strategy, under which an investment target of over RM500 billion by 2030 was set, while it also aimed to train and upskill 60,000 highly skilled Malaysian engineers.
"Investment arrives in Malaysia for many reasons. But we all know that it principally grows where there are enough skills to nourish it,” he added.
About 1,400 skilled young people from over 65 countries and regions are gathering in China’s largest city to compete across 64 skill categories. Malaysia has sent 22 young competitors across 21 skill areas.
The Prime Minister arrived here on Tuesday for a three-day working visit to Shanghai and Hangzhou.
In the afternoon, the Prime Minister and his delegation will travel by high-speed train to Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province, for the second leg of the visit.
Upon arrival, Anwar is slated to hold one-on-one business meetings with tech giants AgiBot, Huawei and Alibaba Group, as well as automotive company Geely and Chinese multinational technology and telecommunications equipment company ZTE Group.
Anwar will later attend a welcoming dinner hosted by Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
The Prime Minister is also scheduled to launch a book titled "Rethinking Ourselves: Justice, Reform, and Ignorance in Post Normal Times”, which has been translated into Mandarin.
China remains Malaysia’s largest trading partner for 17 consecutive years, with total bilateral trade reaching US$113.82 billion (RM456.68 billion) from January to August this year. - Bernama
