Liow: Malaysia needs more skilled workers

Meet the press: Liow (right) at a press conference after meeting industry leaders. Also present are (from left) MCA Youth secretary Datuk Leong Kim Soon and MCA Youth Chief Chong Sin Woon.

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia needs to train more skilled workers to remain competitive in various industries, said MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

Liow said businessmen from industries such as logistics, manufacturing and agriculture were facing a severe shortage in skilled workers, forcing them to rely on foreigners.

“Many of our industries are facing a human capacity-building problem. Big industries help to propel our economy in terms of exports and imports, but when our skilled workers cannot face today’s challenges, we cannot become competitive.

“That’s why the industry leaders have asked the Government to provide more training for our workers,” said Liow after chairing a dialogue between MCA and industry leaders here.

Liow said MCA was fully supportive of the Government’s initiative to promote technical and vocational education and training (TVET) to produce more skilled workers.

“We support the initiative as detailed under the 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP) which focuses on TVET.

“That’s why at Tunku Abdul Rahman College (TARC), we are setting up a vocational institute to support the training of TVET,” said Liow, adding that the course was launched this year.

On the dialogue, Liow said 10 economic strategic directions would be mapped and then presented at MCA’s annual general meeting next month.

“The mapping of the 10 economic strategic directions will be raised at the general meeting so MCA members can deliberate over it. It will be made a resolution so it becomes a commitment by MCA to help these industries,” said Liow.

On another matter, Liow said the change of prime ministership in Australia would not affect the country’s commitment in the search for the missing MH370.

“There will not be any change even though there is a new Australian Prime Minister.

“Their Transport Minister, Warren Truss, is still there.

“We have made a good decision earlier in which Malaysia, Australia and China have expressed our commitment in the search for MH370.”

Former banker Malcolm Turnbull replaced Tony Abbott to become the Prime Minister last week.