As Malaysia accelerates its transition towards a high-income, innovation-driven economy, closer collaboration between technical universities and industry is essential, says Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir.
Without this collaboration, the country risks persistent skills mismatches – where graduates leave with qualifications in hand, only to find themselves working in unrelated fields, particularly within advanced technology sectors, he warned.
“We must prepare our workforce so that we do not become overly dependent on foreign labour in highly technical fields,” he said at the Malaysian Technical University Network (MTUN) Academia-Industry Research Conference 2026 on Feb 11.
The conference served as a platform to bridge academia and the evolving needs of the technical industry, particularly in advanced technical and vocational education and training (TVET).
MTUN, which comprises Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTEM), Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM), Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah and Universiti Malaysia Perlis, was specifically set up to produce graduates grounded in applied knowledge, said Zambry.
“The focus is on how students implement the knowledge they learn, particularly in manufacturing fields – producing graduates who are technically competent, practice-oriented, and ready to enter factories, plants and technology firms with minimal retraining,” he said, citing a recent collaboration between Universiti Sains Malaysia and a high-tech company in Batu Kawan as an example.
“More than 90% of their staff are Malaysians – graduates from MTUN, polytechnics, and technical community colleges,” he said, describing it as proof that local talent can power high-technology ecosystems when industry and academia work hand in hand.
He added that such industry collaboration, supported by strong institutional frameworks, would strengthen and enrich the nation’s learning ecosystem in line with the government’s policy direction.
Zambry also said that the government plans to expand the number of universities and polytechnics specialising in technical fields.
He said the move will create broader and more robust collaboration opportunities between universities and industry, in line with the Malaysian Higher Education Blueprint 2026-2035.
During the event, endowment contribution cheques from participating industry partners were presented to MTUN universities, with RM51.86mil awarded to UTEM and RM50,000 to UTHM.
On a separate matter, Zambry said students are given the freedom to express themselves.
Addressing concerns over the Universities and University Colleges Act (Auku) 1971, he said he had no issue with student demands, noting that the Act has undergone several amendments – most recently in June 2024 – to ensure students have the freedom to form associations and determine their sources of funding.
Such freedom, he added, is already being exercised by students.
Emphasising that the Act is dynamic rather than static, he assured that the government will continue to engage with student groups and academic staff to gather feedback and consider diverse perspectives.
On Feb 9, a group of student protesters called for the abolition of Auku.
The protesters, who said they were from various student groups under the Abolish Auku Secretariat, marched to the Parliament building to hand over a memorandum outlining their demands.
