BUTTERWORTH: #MalaysiaKerja or the Malaysians@Work initiative aimed at creating better employment opportunities for Malaysians especially youths and women, is expected to take place next year.
Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng (pix) said currently the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) which is responsible for handling and running the programme under the initiative is setting up the mechanisms for its implementation.
“EPF is making the preparations to ensure it runs smoothly. We want to make it online as well. EPF is working hard to make the programme a success and it will be launched by mid next year.
“This incentive is for two years. For those who have been unemployed for more than one year, they are entitled for this incentive. This is a two-way incentive; the workers’ wage incentive and employers’ incentive as an initiative for them to hire Malaysian workers,“ he told reporters after opening a Crisis Management Training and a chainsaw contribution ceremony in Bagan parliamentary constituency, here today.
At the event, Lim handed over 24 chainsaws and 14 sets of personal protective equipment to 11 recipients including the Bagan Ajam Voluntary Fire Association, Butterworth Fire and Rescue Station, Seberang Perai Utara Civil Defence Force, Mak Mandin police station and the service centre of Bagan parliamentary and state constituency.
Lim, who is also Bagan MP, said through the initiative the government would give an incentive of RM500 a month to workers and RM300 per month to employers.
According to him, the initiative implementation is expected to create an additional 350,000 job vacancies for Malaysians within five years, thus helping government to reduce youth unemployment, which is currently reaching almost 11%.
“This does not mean that only 350,000 new jobs would be created in five years. No, this is more than that because it does not take into account the private sector. If we include the private sector, it will be more than a million job vacancies.
“But this is specifically for those who are unemployed, particularly youth, graduates, women and those who cannot find a reasonable wage. We hope to reduce unemployment among young people, and we hope to reduce that number to half after this programme,“ he said.
He hoped all Malaysians, including opposition parties would support the initiative so that efforts to increase employment opportunities among the people, especially youths and women, could be realised. — Bernama
