KUALA LUMPUR: As the government prepares to table Budget 2026 next week, MCA Youth has called for a greater focus on easing economic pressures and enhancing the quality of life for young people.
Among them are easing the cost of living, advancing agricultural reform, promoting entrepreneurship, strengthening education, supporting youth wellbeing and ensuring fair taxation.
Listing a 10-point proposal that includes measures to relieve financial pressures, enabling affordable home ownership, and empowering youth with education, MCA Youth secretary-general Saw Yee Fung said on Friday (Oct 3) that the suggestions represent the collective aspirations of Malaysian youth leaders in shaping a more equitable and inclusive budget.
She said phasing out blanket subsidies had resulted in disproportionate financial stress for youth, as many were caught between stagnant wages and rising basic costs.
Saw proposed that the current personal income tax relief of RM9,000 be increased to RM12,000 to keep pace with inflation and the Goods and Services Tax (GST) be reintroduced to replace the Sales and Services Tax (SST) for a more transparent tax system and to avoid double taxation.
She said community-based food supply platforms that take produce from farm to the table should be encouraged to bypass profiteering intermediaries.
As for increasing employment opportunities and issues with the unemployed graduates, Saw said degree holders often find themselves in roles that do not match their qualifications, which results in wasted potential and slow wage growth.
She said this can lead to a risk of producing a generation of frustrated and underutilised talent.
"The government should give rewards such as tax breaks or subsidies to companies that hire graduates for jobs that put the skills they were trained in to use. This is to help graduates find meaningful, high-skilled work that matches what they studied," she said at a joint press conference with leaders of various Chinese youth organisations at Wisma MCA here.
Saw said first-time buyers of homes are also struggling to acquire property due to rising housing prices,
She said this has led to them being forced to rent properties over the long term and delay homeownership.
Saw urged the government to enable and promote rent-to-own schemes and improve public transportation.
She also emphasised extending technical and vocational education and training (TVET) programmes to rural and youth from B40 lower-income families, as it is increasingly being recognised as a critical pillar for youth employability.
Saw said pressure is also mounting in the public higher education sector as a result of reduced funding and commercialisation.
"Policies like the ‘zero balance’ policy, which requires students to settle their study fees upfront, should be abolished as they affect students from low-income backgrounds.
To encourage entrepreneurship among youth, she proposed a zero-interest micro-loan with flexible repayment and mentorship, with priority given to TVET graduates and youth programme alumni.
Among others present at the press conference were MCA Youth economic and SME affairs committee chairman Teoh Wei Loong, professional members bureau chairman Teoh Tuck Wah, EMCO president Lau Choon Xian and Belia Xiang Lian president Gan Sheng Yih.
