SELANGOR plans to strengthen its response to climate crisis and talent development via its 2027 state budget.
Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said climate change, environmental issues, education, skilled talent and the transition towards new technologies were among matters that could shape the state’s spending priorities next year.
“It is not a question of allocation. The issue is what we need to do together,” he told reporters after a stakeholder engagement session on Selangor Budget 2027.
“Environmental issues cross borders.
“It is not only between Selangor and the Federal Government, but also Selangor and Perak, Negri Sembilan, Pahang, Kedah and others.
“We need a comprehensive plan involving all states and we need to face this as a crisis, not merely as a phenomenon,” he said.
During the earlier dialogue, economic adviser at the Prime Minister’s Office Nurhisham Hussein warned that Selangor was among three states in Peninsular Malaysia expected to be most affected by the climate crisis.
“Within 20 years, one million Malaysians will be affected by climate change,” he said.
This could involve loss of residential areas, settlements and agricultural land, while coastal areas such as Pulau Carey and Port Klang faced risks from rising sea levels, he noted.
“I see many mangrove planting projects at the state level.
“It must be done more aggressively to curb coastal erosion,” he said.
Also present at the dialogue was Asia-Europe Institute executive director Prof Datuk Dr Rajah Rasiah who said climate action could not be addressed by states working independently.
The Federal Government, he said, should take the lead in coordinating efforts as climate change involved impact that extended beyond individual state boundaries.
On the topic of talent development, another major issue raised during the dialogue, Prof Rajah said Malaysia has produced highly skilled people who subsequently took their expertise overseas.
“A large part of our talent here is not contributing here, and it is not their fault.
“So we have to find a solution for all this,” he said.
Nurhisham also called for greater private sector involvement in technical and vocational education and training (TVET), noting that training programmes did not necessarily meet industry requirements.
“You must involve industry in the curriculum and in creating the materials because they will eventually be the off-taker for those working,” he said.
Responding to the topic, Amirudin said Selangor needed to examine how it could retain and attract highly skilled Malaysians, including providing competitive salaries and career opportunities.
State-owned companies, he said, could provide one avenue for attracting such talent, while Selangor’s technical training ecosystem was already working with technology providers such as Siemens, Apple, Festo, Mercedes and BMW.
