IPOH: All skilled jobs in Malaysia should be filled entirely by Malaysians trained through the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system, says Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
He said the government hopes to strengthen the TVET ecosystem to produce more skilled and professional workers to meet industry demands, particularly from multinational companies investing in Malaysia.
“These jobs should not be filled by foreign workers but by Malaysians who are fully trained under the TVET system,” he said after opening the Expo TVET@KKDW 2025 here yesterday.
Ahmad Zahid, who chairs the National TVET Council, also thanked Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for increasing the TVET allocation to RM7.9bil under Budget 2026.
“With this allocation, we will strengthen TVET modules focused on robotics, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, automotive technology and other high-skill fields,” he said.
He added that the move aims to meet the growing demand for skilled workers in key projects such as the Kulim Hi-Tech Park, the proposed Silicon Valley in Kedah, the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone and the Kerian Integrated Green Industrial Park (Kigip) in Perak.
Ahmad Zahid also thanked the Perak government for providing the necessary TVET infrastructure to support future training needs once Kigip is completed.
Of the RM7.9bil allocation, RM45mil will go to the National TVET Council, RM1.3bil to Education Ministry institutes, RM3bil to the Human Resource Development Corporation, RM650mil to the Skills Development Fund Corporation and RM34mil to the Skills Development Department.
The remainder will be used to upgrade and build new TVET institutions.
Ahmad Zahid also announced that Deputy Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Rubiah Wang will lead Malaysia’s delegation to the WorldSkills Asia 2025 competition in Taipei this November.
Malaysia recently emerged as overall champion at the WorldSkills Asean 2025 competition in Manila, winning 13 gold, four silver and three bronze.
“Most of the gold medals were earned by students from GiatMara, Institut Kemahiran Mara, Mara Japan Industrial Institute and UniKL,” said Ahmad Zahid.
He added that the TVET GiatMara framework has already created about 50 millionaire entrepreneurs, with a vision to double that number by 2030.
“Skills must become the new currency of our nation, not just paper certificates, but real value that defines Malaysia’s standing on the global stage,” he said.
