Efforts to boost TVET capacity, STEM proficiency key to strengthening Malaysia's economic resilience

New Straits Times

27-04-2025

KANGAR: Efforts to improve the capacity of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and mastery of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) among youth are needed to build the domestic economic resilience of Malaysia.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the fields of engineering, artificial intelligence (AI) and digital, as well as approaches to keep up with current economic developments, must be prioritised to enable Malaysia to have the ability to achieve this goal.
"So God willing, we will build domestic economic resilience...enter the field of engineering, AI, digital and follow economic developments, and not be dragged into issues that can break and weaken us, such as busy to listening to quarrelsome talks, which spew hatred.
"We have the strength to build this country, in 10 years, 20 years, where do we want to take the people and children, think about the future, do we want to quarrel about race or interpretation or raise our dignity so that together we can become part of a developed country and be strong to face the current tests," he said.
The Prime Minister said this when speaking at the Perlis State-Level Aidilfitri Madani 2025 Celebration at Dataran Lok 9, Kuala Perlis near here today.
Also present were the Raja of Perlis Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Jamalullail and the Raja Perempuan of Perlis Tuanku Tengku Fauziah Almarhum Tengku Abdul Rashid.
Also attending the ceremony were the Raja Muda of Perlis Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra Jamalullail and the Raja Puan Muda of Perlis Tuanku Dr Hajah Lailatul Shahreen Akashah Khalil.
Also present were Perlis Menteri Besar Mohd Shukri Ramli and Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
Meanwhile, Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, announced that the development allocation channeled by the federal government to Perlis from 2022 to 2024 recorded a 65 per cent increase to RM645.58 million last year, with 2023 (RM596.82 million) and 2022 (RM391.91 million).
"For Perlis' annual grants in 2022, it was RM168.4 million, 2023 (RM182.3 million) and 2024 (RM210.6 million), which means Perlis is among the highest with a 25 per cent increase," he said.
Regarding the Basic Rahmah Contribution Programme (SARA) in Perlis, he said the beneficiaries of the programme had increased to 62,292 people as of April compared to 25,682 recipients last year.
Earlier, the Prime Minister chaired a Special State Development Meeting with the Menteri Besar of Perlis and the leadership of the state and federal governments at the Perlis State Development Office here.
Through his Facebook post, Anwar, among others, said that the government machinery at all levels must immediately expedite the approval and implementation of projects without being hampered by bureaucratic red tape.
"I have instructed agencies to tighten monitoring of projects and not hesitate to punish those who delay them to the detriment of the people.
"The Perlis Menteri Besar then presented several state development priorities, covering basic infrastructure such as roads, flood control, tourism, ports and education," he said.
Anwar said among the projects raised were the development of Sanglang port, the reconstruction of Sekolah Kebangsaan Chuping, the completion of the abandoned Sekolah Sukan Malaysia Perlis project and the Chuping flood reservoir upgrade project.
He said that, considering their importance, he had ordered the reconstruction of Sekolah Kebangsaan Chuping to begin this year.
Meanwhile, the Sekolah Sukan Malaysia Perlis project, which has been abandoned for the past 12 years, must be immediately handed over to a capable government-linked company.
"The federal and state government machinery must be bold enough to think outside the old framework, break the deadlock, expedite the resolution of the people's problems, and build a resilient economic foundation, thereby raising the dignity of both the people and the country on the world stage," he said.