KOTA KINABALU: Sungai Manila assemblyman Hazem Mubarak Tun Musa has called for a major overhaul of Sabah’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) curriculum to prepare youth for high-skilled roles in emerging industries.
During the debate of the Yang di-Pertua Negeri’s state government policy speech, he said TVET must evolve beyond traditional training to meet modern industry demands, including robotics, electric vehicle (EV) maintenance, drone technology and artificial intelligence (AI).
“We cannot allow our youth to remain mere spectators or only take up lower-level positions in our own industrial development. We must ensure they are equipped to take on high-skilled roles,” Hazem (GRS-Sungai Manila) said.
He also proposed closer collaboration between TVET institutions and multinational investors through memorandums of understanding (MoUs), including the provision of modern training equipment and conditional job guarantees for graduates.
He said such partnerships would ensure Sabah’s workforce is industry-ready and able to benefit directly from the state’s expanding industrial zones.
Hazem also urged the government to strengthen the education hub in Sungai Manila, home to Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), a Mara junior science college, a polytechnic and a vocational college, to position it as a driver of human capital development.
“Education plays a crucial role in ensuring continuous development. An educated generation is an asset that will ensure Sabah’s progress does not stagnate,” he added.
