Great deals: The public buying daily essentials such as cooking oil, rice and eggs during the launch of Karnival Aspirasi Madani at Kompleks Sukan Bandar Tun Razak in Kuala Lumpur. — AZMAN GHANI/The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: Senior citizens and fresh graduates alike turned up at the Karnival Aspirasi Madani career fair in search of job opportunities.
The one-day event yesterday involved 20 private and government-linked companies offering some 6,000 vacancies across various industries.
Employers from the retail, property development, transport services, food and beverage as well as hospitality sectors were among those at the function – an initiative by the Social Security Organisation (Socso) and Human Resources Ministry.
Deputy Human Resources Minister Mustapha Sakmud said more than 2,500 similar fairs were held between Jan 1, 2022 and Aug 31 this year.
“Out of this figure, 400 were held in Kuala Lumpur,” he said in his officiating speech during the event at Kompleks Sukan Bandar Tun Razak in Cheras.
Mustapha said the fair was part of the ministry’s continuous efforts at addressing unemployment in the country.
“The ministry remains committed to enhancing the job market, which is crucial towards the country’s development,” he said.
Mustapha also said nearly 450,000 jobseekers – including some 29,000 from Kuala Lumpur – gained employment via the MYFutureJobs portal.
Norsyahira Zaid, 23, an engineering graduate from Universiti Putra Malaysia who came to the fair from Bangi, Selangor, with a friend, said she brought 30 copies of her resume to be presented to recruiters.
“More fairs like this should be organised as they provide a platform for jobseekers to meet with recruiters and make an impression,” she said.
Father of three, Mahinder Singh, 63, who recently lost his job as a car mechanic, expressed hope of landing a similar role.
“It is hard being jobless right now. My wife currently works part-time as an ehailing driver to supplement our income.
“I was at a Socso branch last week applying for aid when I heard about this fair,” he said.
Former freelance photographer, Brian Chong, 59, was looking for an odd job to put his two children through school.
“I have been retired for nearly eight years, but decided to rejoin the workforce recently after discussing it with my wife,” he said.
Also in attendance were Bandar Tun Razak MP Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Aiman Athirah Sabu, the Prime Minister’s political aide Datuk Azman Abidin and Socso chief executive officer Datuk Seri Dr Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed.
Dr Wan Azizah urged employers to prioritise locals when hiring, in line with Socso’s “Hire Locals” campaign launched on June 4.
The campaign, among others, aims for 35% of Malaysian workers to be considered high-skilled by 2030.
