SEPANG: Malaysia is targeting its maiden gold medal at the WorldSkills Competition (WSC) 2028 in Aichi, Japan, through two years of early preparation and the expansion of the national contingent's participation to at least 32 out of the 64 contested skill areas.
Head of the Malaysian Contingent to WSC Shanghai 2026, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Maslan, said preparations must be set in motion immediately by strengthening synergy across the 12 ministries that manage the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) ecosystem in Malaysia.
"Preparations must begin now because it involves national, Asean, and Asian level competitions; only then will we reach the world stage," he said after the national contingent's homecoming reception ceremony at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) here on Monday (Sept 28).
Elaborating further, Ahmad, who is also Deputy Works Minister, described WSC as the "Olympics" for the field of skills, and the quest to hunt for that maiden gold gleam is now a primary agenda, akin to the national sports "Road to Gold" mission.
"That gold medal is not just gold; it serves as a symbol of our ability to elevate and dignify the standard of the country's TVET on the international stage," he said.
As such, the subsequent target for the 2028 WSC edition is to increase the national contingent's participation to at least 50 per cent, or 32 out of the 64 contested skill areas.
Ahmad noted that the point gap between national participants and podium winners on the international stage is actually very narrow, proving that local trainees possess immense potential to clinch gold.
At the WSC Shanghai 2026 games, Malaysia carved out its best achievement in history since first participating in WSC in 1995, bringing home 14 medals – comprising one bronze and 13 Medals for Excellence – and placing 11 out of 21 fields in the top 10 group globally. – Bernama
