Latest news with #537
Malaysiakini
23-05-2025
- Business
- Malaysiakini
Rethinking graduate wages in M'sia: Are we seeing the full picture?
While concerns over low starting salaries for graduates are valid and deserve attention, it is important to frame the conversation around comprehensive data rather than isolated anecdotal accounts. The recent narrative, as featured in an article titled 'Degree holders lament incommensurate wages', paints a dismal picture of graduate earnings. However, key national statistics suggest a more nuanced and, in some cases, more optimistic reality. A broader look at graduate earnings Contrary to claims that most degree holders earn below RM3,000, the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) reports a median salary of RM4,409 and a mean salary of RM4,933 for graduates in 2023. These figures reflect a more accurate average of what degree holders are earning across industries, rather than the narrower lens of entry-level salaries in specific sectors. Furthermore, MYFutureJobs, Malaysia's national job matching platform, shows that graduate-level jobs advertise an average salary of RM4,537 as of April 2025. For better alignment with DOSM's data, another perspective from PERKESO's Data Placement 2024 reports that the average salary for graduates entering PMET (Professionals, Managers, Executives, and Technicians) occupations is RM3,598. These numbers show strong alignment between advertised and actual salaries, indicating that the labour market may be more competitive and fairer than suggested by individual employer surveys. Contextualising entry-level wages It is true that starting salaries in the public sector at RM2,250 for Grade 9 (formerly Grade 41) are lower than average salaries in the private sector. However, this doesn't capture the full compensation trajectory. Grade 9 positions in government service can reach up to RM11,110, and they often come with long-term benefits like pension schemes, job security, and annual increments that may not exist in many private roles. At the same time, graduates from arts and social sciences tend to earn lower starting salaries, largely due to a combination of market oversupply, limited demand, and the less direct commercial applicability of their qualifications. According to the Ministry of Higher Education's 2023 data, over 150,000 graduates, or more than 50 percent of total graduate output, were from non-STEM fields like Business Administration and Law (82,288 graduates), Arts and Humanities (22,558), Education (17,933), and Social Sciences (17,539). This oversupply creates a notable mismatch between graduate output and labour market needs. Bridging this gap requires targeted upskilling in areas such as digital literacy and analytical competencies, which are critical to enhancing employability and opening pathways to higher-value career opportunities, both in the public and private sectors. A case of mismatch, not oversupply One of the key issues at hand is not necessarily that there are too many graduates, but that many are underemployed. According to DOSM, 35.7 percent of employed graduates in Quarter 1, 2025, were in roles that did not match their qualifications, which is a symptom of skill mismatch, not an oversupply of graduates per see. The Graduate Employability Rate (GER) for 2024, on the other hand, stands at 92.5 percent, which reflects that the vast majority of graduates are indeed employed. Therefore, the challenge is aligning the quality of those jobs with the qualifications and aspirations of graduates, which is an issue that calls for better industry-academia alignment, not just wage reform. What needs to change Rather than placing undue emphasis solely on starting salaries, which are understandably lower as part of the natural career progression, the national conversation should pivot towards more sustainable and impactful solutions. One of the key areas requiring attention is the closing of the skill gap. This involves a critical enhancement of university curricula to ensure that graduates are equipped with competencies that align with the evolving needs of industry. A stronger emphasis on practical, industry-relevant education can bridge the disconnect between academic training and workplace expectations. Equally important is the support for upskilling and reskilling initiatives, which empower graduates to transition into high-demand and emerging sectors such as digital technology, green economy, and advanced manufacturing. These sectors not only offer better remuneration but also greater long-term career resilience in a rapidly shifting job market. Through data mining and analysis, efforts have been made to explore parameters that allow comparison between reskilled or upskilled graduates and fresh graduates. While direct official salary comparisons for reskilled individuals are limited, existing policy frameworks and research consistently highlight that reskilling enhances employability, job readiness, and career advancement. These improvements are generally associated with more favourable salary outcomes compared to those of fresh graduates entering the workforce without additional training or experience. In addition, greater industry collaboration must be encouraged. Structured partnerships between the public and private sectors can create clear, purposeful pathways from education to employment, including internships, apprenticeships, and industry-driven training programmes, which can ease the transition into the workforce and raise job quality. While there are legitimate concerns about business sustainability, especially among micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), blanket suppression of graduate wages should not be seen as a viable solution. Instead, a more balanced and forward-thinking approach is needed, one that integrates performance-based remuneration, targeted government incentives, and comprehensive labour market reforms. Such a strategy would not only support business viability but also ensure fair and equitable compensation for Malaysia's highly educated workforce. This Social Security series is in collaboration with PERKESO.
New Straits Times
23-05-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Rethinking graduate wages
WHILE concerns over low starting salaries for graduates are valid and deserve attention, it is important to frame the conversation around comprehensive data rather than isolated anecdotal accounts. The recent narrative, as featured in a news article, paints a dismal picture of graduate earnings. However, key national statistics suggest a more nuanced and, in some cases, more optimistic reality. A BROADER LOOK AT GRADUATE EARNINGS Contrary to claims that most degree holders earn below RM3,000, the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) reports a median salary of RM4,409 and a mean salary of RM4,933 for graduates in 2023. These figures reflect a more accurate average of what degree holders are earning across industries, rather than the narrower lens of entry-level salaries in specific sectors. Furthermore, MYFutureJobs, Malaysia's national job-matching platform, shows that graduate-level jobs advertised an average salary of RM4,537 up to last month. In alignment with DOSM's data, the Social Security Organisation's (Perkeso) 2024 Data Placement also reports that the average salary for graduates entering PMET (Professionals, Managers, Executives, and Technicians) roles is RM3,598. These numbers show strong alignment between advertised and actual salaries, suggesting that the labour market may be more competitive and fairer than what individual employer surveys suggest. ENTRY-LEVEL WAGES It is true that public sector entry-level salaries, such as RM2,250 for Grade 9 (formerly Grade 41), are lower than private sector medians. However, this figure does not capture the full compensation trajectory, as Grade 9 positions in the government can rise to RM11,110 and come with long-term benefits such as pension schemes, job security and annual increments, which are often absent in many private sector roles. At the same time, graduates from the arts and social sciences tend to earn lower starting salaries, largely due to market oversupply, limited demand and less direct commercial applicability of their qualifications. According to the Higher Education Ministry's 2023 data, over 150,000 graduates, or more than 50 per cent of total graduate output, came from non-science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields such as Business Administration and Law (82,288), Arts and Humanities (22,558), Education (17,933) and Social Sciences (17,539). This oversupply has created a mismatch between graduate output and labour market needs. Bridging this gap requires targeted upskilling in areas such as digital literacy and analytical competencies — skills critical to enhancing employability and creating pathways to higher-value career opportunities in both the public and private sectors. MISMATCH, NOT OVERSUPPLY One of the key issues is not necessarily an oversupply of graduates, but underemployment. According to DOSM, 35.7 per cent of employed graduates in the first quarter of this year were in roles that did not match their qualifications — a clear sign of skill mismatch rather than graduate surplus. Yet, the Graduate Employability Rate for last year stood at 92.5 per cent, reflecting that the vast majority of graduates are employed. The challenge lies in aligning job quality with graduate qualifications and aspirations. This issue calls for improved industry-academia collaboration, not just wage reform. WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE Rather than focusing solely on starting salaries, naturally lower as part of early career progression, the national conversation should pivot toward sustainable and impactful solutions. Chief among them is closing the skill gap, which requires critically enhancing university curricula to ensure graduates are equipped with skills that align with evolving industry needs. Greater emphasis on practical, industry-relevant education can bridge the disconnect between academic training and workplace expectations. Equally important is supporting upskilling and reskilling initiatives, which empower graduates to transition into high-demand sectors such as digital technology, the green economy and advanced manufacturing. These sectors offer not only better remuneration, but also long-term career resilience. Data analysis has begun to explore ways to compare outcomes between reskilled/upskilled graduates and fresh graduates. Although direct official salary comparisons are limited, existing policy frameworks and research consistently show that reskilling improves employability, job readiness and career progression, often leading to better salary outcomes than those available to fresh graduates. Additionally, stronger industry collaboration must be encouraged. Structured partnerships between the public and private sectors can create clear, purposeful pathways from education to employment, such as internships, apprenticeships and industry-driven training programmes that ease workforce entry and raise job quality. While there are legitimate concerns about business sustainability, especially among micro, small and medium enterprises, blanket suppression of graduate wages should not be seen as a viable solution. Instead, a more balanced and forward-thinking approach is required: one that integrates performance-based remuneration, targeted government incentives and comprehensive labour market reforms. Such a strategy would not only support business viability, but also ensure fair and equitable compensation for Malaysia's highly educated workforce.
GMA Network
16-05-2025
- General
- GMA Network
No winners of major lotto draws on Friday, May 16, 2025
There were no winners of either of the major lotto jackpots offered on Friday, May 16, 2025, PCSO announced. No bettor chose the winning combination of 36-53-20-27-46-24 picked for the Ultra Lotto 6/58 jackpot prize of P59,537,852.00. There was also no winner of the Megalotto 6/45 jackpot of P53,398,357.40, with the winning combination of 42-33-43-41-08-21. Click here for the complete lotto results. — BAP, GMA Integrated News
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Business Standard
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Pahalgam attack: 537 Pak nationals left India through Attari in 4 days
As many as 537 Pakistani nationals, including nine diplomats and officials, left India through the Attari-Wagah border point in four days beginning April 24 as the exit deadline for the 12 categories of short-term visa holders of the neighbouring nation ended Sunday, officials said. A total of 850 Indians, including 14 diplomats and officials, have returned from Pakistan through the international border crossing located in Punjab in the last four days. The 'Leave India' notice to the Pakistani nationals was issued by the government after 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed by Pakistan-linked terrorists in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22. The officials told PTI that altogether 237 Pakistani nationals, including nine diplomats and officials, left India through the Attari-Wagah border post on Sunday, 81 left on April 26, 191 on April 25 and 28 on April 24. Similarly, 116 Indians, including one diplomat, returned from Pakistan on Sunday through the international land border crossing; 342 Indians, including 13 diplomats and officials, came back on April 26; 287 Indians crossed over on April 25; and 105 Indians returned on April 24, the officials said. Protocol Officer at the Attari border Arun Mahal told PTI that between April 24 and 27, a total of 537 Pakistani nationals crossed over to Pakistan through the Attari-Wagah border while 850 Indians returned from Pakistan. Some of the Pakistanis might have left India through airports too, the officials said, pointing out that since India does not have direct air connectivity with Pakistan, they might have left for other countries. The deadline for exiting India for those holding SAARC visas was April 26. For those carrying medical visas, the deadline is April 29. The 12 categories of visas whose holders have to leave India by Sunday are -- visa on arrival, business, film, journalist, transit, conference, mountaineering, student, visitor, group tourist, pilgrim and group pilgrim. Three Defence/Military, Naval and Air Advisors in the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi were declared Persona Non Grata on April 23 and they were given one week to leave India. Five support staff of these defence attaches were also asked to leave India. India has also withdrawn its defence attache from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. However, those having long-term and diplomatic or official visas were exempted from the 'Leave-India' order. At the Attari border in Amritsar district, vehicles queued up as Pakistani nationals hurried to cross over to their country. Many Indians came to bid farewell to their relatives, the pain of separation evident on their faces. Sarita and her family had come to India for a relative's wedding set for April 29. "We came to India after nine years," she said. She, her brother and her father are Pakistanis while her mother is an Indian national. "They (the authorities at Attari) are telling us they will not allow my mother to go along. My parents got married in 1991. They are saying Indian passport holders will not be allowed," said Sarita, crying bitterly. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said all Pakistanis have been accounted for and arrangements are being made to deport the people whose visas have been revoked as per the Centre's directives. State minister Yogesh Kadam on Saturday said 1,000 Pakistani nationals with short-term visas have been asked to leave India. Around 5,050 Pakistani citizens have been living in Maharashtra and most of them are on long-term visas, the officials said. The Bihar government said all Pakistani nationals, who had been to the state in the recent past, left well ahead of the April 27 deadline. In the southern state of Telangana, police chief Jitender cited official records to say that 208 Pakistani nationals were staying in the state, mostly in Hyderabad. Of these, 156 held long-term visas, 13 short-term visas and 39 were with the travel document for medical and business purposes. There were 104 Pakistani nationals in the southern coastal state of Kerala, of whom 99 were on long-term visas, according to the officials. The remaining five, who were on either tourist or medical visas, have left the country. Central India's Madhya Pradesh had around 228 visiting Pakistani nationals, many of whom have already left the country, the officials said. Around 12 Pakistanis have been identified in Odisha and all of them have been asked to follow the deadline set for them to leave the country. Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has said three Pakistani nationals, who were in the state on short-term visas, have been asked to leave. Seven Pakistanis were in Gujarat on short-term visas -- five in Ahmedabad and one each in Bharuch and Vadodara. They have either left India or are leaving by Sunday, the officials said. Besides, 438 Pakistani nationals are in the western state on long-term visas and they include Hindus who have applied for Indian citizenship. In the north, Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police Prashant Kumar said on Saturday that the process of sending back all categories of Pakistani citizens who have been ordered to leave India has been completed. One Pakistani national is still in the state and he will depart for Pakistan on April 30, the DGP said. As many as 19 Pakistani nationals staying in Bihar with short-term visas have left the country. Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday called up the chief ministers of all states and asked them to ensure that no Pakistani stays in India beyond the deadline set for leaving the country. After Shah's telephonic conversations with the chief ministers, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan held a video conference with the chief secretaries and asked them to ensure that all Pakistani nationals whose visas were revoked must leave India by the deadline fixed. The already strained relations between India and Pakistan nosedived further after the Pahalgam terror attack, with New Delhi announcing a raft of measures, including the cancellation of visas, against Islamabad, which hit back with a string of tit-for-tat measures.
Telegraph
28-03-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Japan to limit cash withdrawals and bank transfers for elderly people
Japan is planning to limit the amount of money that older people can withdraw or transfer at cashpoints in an effort to halt a spike in fraud cases targeting the elderly. The National Police Agency has proposed a change in the Act on the Prevention of Transfer of Criminal Proceeds to limit the amount that anyone aged 75 or older can withdraw or transfer, to Y300,000 (GBP1,537) a day. A parallel plan is for the banking industry to automatically suspend the bank card of anyone who is over the age of 65 and who has not used the card to access their account for more than a year, while the local government in the city of Osaka is going one step further in its campaign against the scammers by imposing a ban on old people using an ATM and a phone – to take instructions from the confidence tricksters – at the same time. Phone and online fraud have been a problem in Japan for several decades, despite a series of campaigns to educate people to the danger. Some of the most frequent scams involve phone calls to a random number with the perpetrator pretending to be a bank employee, claiming that the person's account is in overdraft and that a transfer must be completed immediately to avoid a large charge. Another effective approach is known as the 'ore, ore' scam, meaning 'hey, hey.' The caller dials a random number and convinces the person on the other end that they are a relative or friend who is in trouble, with one common tactic to say they have been in a minor traffic accident and need to pay the other driver so the police do not get involved. Romance and investment scams are also prevalent, while a new approach being tried out by fast-talking con men sees targets informed that an arrest warrant has been issued in their name but that it can be dismissed in return for a generous payment. And while many people are wise to the approaches and hang up, elderly people who are less aware of the scammers' methods are easier targets. In some cases, the con men have called back several times and convinced the target to make repeated payments before they realise their mistake. Japanese police announced in February that 20,987 cases were reported to the authorities in 2024, up more than 10 per cent from the previous year. Of the total, 80 per cent of the victims were contacted by phone and given instructions. Investment scams accounted for the majority of reports, followed by romance scams and criminals posing as police officers requesting payment. The con men managed to talk people out of a record Y126.8 billion (GBP649.4 million) over the course of the year. On Tuesday, police in Ichihara City arrested Hiroaki Taguchi, 29, on suspicion of attempting to defraud an 80-year-old woman out of Y3 million (GBP15,361) by pretending to be her son on the phone and claiming that he had got his girlfriend pregnant and urgently needed money. Taguchi, a fireman, was caught after the woman called her son to confirm the information. Taguchi was arrested when he arrived at a pre-arranged location, posing as a lawyer, to collect the money. National broadcaster NHK reported that he told investigators that he had run up debts that he could not pay off.
