KUALA LUMPUR: Young adults are not feeling the benefits of Malaysia’s healthy 6% economic growth, with youth unemployment remaining high and two-thirds of employed graduates below 24 working in jobs that do not match their qualifications, says Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.
The MCA president said the disconnect comes despite the economy expanding 6% in the second quarter, with youth unemployment more than three times the national rate.
“This is not a story about a shortage of jobs. It tells us that Malaysia is training people whom the economy is not yet putting to full use,” he said in his special address at the Youth Economic Forum 2026 held at the Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (TAR UMT) yesterday.
Dr Wee said Malaysia’s economic growth is real but is not “necessarily being felt by the people”, pointing to export growth (17%) and government consumption increase (7.6%) in the second quarter, while private consumption grew by 4.8%.
He urged youths to look beyond headline economic indicators, citing July’s 1.8% inflation rate and noting that 374 of the 573 items tracked in the Consumer Price Index had recorded price increases.
“That fact explains the national mood better than the headline does,” he said.
Dr Wee said young Malaysians also want greater certainty from government policies, including confidence that policies announced at one point would remain consistent months later.
“Certainty is among the most valuable things a government can give to its people.”
He urged youths to read beyond headlines, participate in policymaking and, when criticising policies, offer workable alternatives.
TAR UMT president Prof Datuk Dr Lee Sze Wei said the challenge facing young people is compounded by rapid technological change, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), which is reshaping education, industries and the world of work.
“Jobs are disappearing, roles are being redefined and entirely new professions may be emerging that did not exist just a few years ago.”
Prof Lee urged youths to embrace AI rather than view it as a threat to employment, saying the “winners” would be those who could combine human capabilities with technology.
Organising chairman Dr Eric Yeoh said the forum was designed to give youths a more active role, with students involved in selecting the panel topics based on their interests and concerns.
He said the organisers adopted a mentorship approach centred on learning and doing together, rather than simply having adults tell young people what to do.
The Youth Economic Forum 2026, themed “Redefining Success for Youth: Careers, Money and Growth in the Changing Economy”, was jointly organised by TAR UMT, the Institute of Strategic Analysis and Policy Research, CSR Malaysia and the Young Professionals Bureau Wilayah Persekutuan.
Also present were TAR UMT Board of Governors member Datuk Chong Sin Woon, Insap chairman Datuk Dr Pamela Yong, JCI Malaysia area central chairman Maegann Yap and industry leaders.
