Zahid: Don’t just take part in the workforce, own enterprises and lead industries
MELAKA: Malaysian women must move from taking part in the workforce to owning enterprises and leading industries with skills training that leads to real jobs and higher incomes, says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
The Deputy Prime Minister said women’s labour force participation stood at 56.6% in 2025, compared with 83.3% for men.
The gap, he said, required a closer look at the barriers women faced in working and building careers.
“It is time we moved from participation to ownership,” he said when launching the Jelita Open Day 12 Hours Sprint Training at Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) yesterday.
Ahmad Zahid, who chairs the National TVET Council, said Jelita offered 50 industry-based certification programmes for women through 12-hour courses, allowing them to upskill alongside work and family commitments.
But short courses must have clear standards and recognition that industry trusts, he said.
“Even though the duration is short, its value must be lasting.”
Ahmad Zahid also said Jelita’s modules should be developed with companies, technology players and professional bodies, based on what the economy needs.
“Participants should also be linked to jobs, further training, mentors, financing or market access after completing their courses.
“Training must lead somewhere,” he said.
He added that the programme’s success should be measured by how many participants found jobs, earned more or grew their businesses six or 12 months later, not just by the number of courses and certificates.
The Deputy Prime Minister also said women returning to work after caring for children or parents should be given room to renew their skills and rebuild their confidence.
“Do not let a career break become a full stop to their potential,” he said.
Speaking to reporters later, Ahmad Zahid said Jelita had trained more than 10,000 participants in less than three years.
Of these, 5,000 had found jobs that added to their household income while the remaining 5,000 were producing goods marketed in physical stores or online.
“This is a game changer for women,” he said.
He said the smart partnership between UTeM, Kolej Risda and women’s groups had been a success and would continue.
On another matter, Ahmad Zahid, who is also Rural and Regional Development Minister, said cost-cutting must not come at the expense of rural roads in Sabah and Sarawak, amid calls for the government to reveal who ordered the cancellation of projects in both states.
He said his deputy minister would give the details during the committee stage debate in Parliament.
“Rural infrastructure must not be compromised in the name of savings because communities in the interior of Sarawak and Sabah really need roads to connect them.
“More importantly, access must be given because they have been left behind for so long compared with the peninsula,” he said.
While winding up Budget 2027 policy-stage debate in the Dewan Rakyat, Ahmad Zahid claimed some projects in Sabah and Sarawak this year had been ordered cancelled despite allocations being available.
Penampang MP Datuk Ewon Benedick then asked who had issued the instruction to cancel 13 rural road projects in Sabah.
