KEPALA BATAS: Teachers should be equipped with financial literacy to be able to impart such knowledge to their students, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He said it is important for students to have such knowledge as it would guide them towards being financially responsible in the future.
“Exposure to financial literacy must be done as early as possible. We know parents play their part in teaching their kids to save, but it will be good if it can be done in schools too,” he said in his speech at Minggu Saham Amanah Malay-sia (MSAM) in Bertam yesterday.
The event, which began on Saturday, will go on until Oct 8.
Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister, said the Education and Higher Education ministries could be roped in to train teachers for this purpose.
He said Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) could also help by conducting more financial literacy campaigns such as MSAM nationwide.
Earlier, PNB group chairman Raja Tan Sri Arshad Raja Tun Uda said in his speech that MSAM is focusing on elements of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).
“Our goal is to inspire everyone, especially the younger generation, to continue to gain knowledge and pursue higher education and venture into the STEM field,” he said.
The theme of MSAM this year, “Bijak Melabur, Santai Berhibur” (Invest Wisely, Relax and Have Fun), reflects PNB’s efforts to create awareness of financial literacy, he added.
This nine-day event has booths set up by MSAM’s corporate partners and strategic and selected core companies, enabling visitors to learn how returns through investments in these companies are earned and redistributed to unit holders in the form of income distribution.
Dubbed as the largest financial literacy carnival, the event features about 50 exhibitors from the PNB group of companies, banks, regulatory bodies, and state government agencies.
MSAM’s agenda to enhance financial literacy levels among Malaysians and embrace STEM is also in line with the Penang2030 vision that was launched in August 2018 which emphasises the development of family institutions and aspects of a green and smart state.
Present during the launch were Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, PNB president and group chief executive Ahmad Zulqarnain Onn, and others.
