Can’t be picky if you want to work in Sabah: Yakub Khan

SANDAKAN – Job seekers in Sabah should not to be picky when choosing a job, but to grab any opportunity that is available.  

Sabah Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Yakub Khan said beggars can’t be choosers, revealing that there are many locals who may not want to work in the peninsula when there are more job opportunities than in Sabah.  

“It is clear (that the peninsula offers more job opportunities). That is why I ask for our jobseekers here not to be choosy,” Yakub told a press conference after launching the Sandakan’s Perdana Career Carnival in the Sandakan Community Hall here today.

Earlier in his speech, Yakub said jobseekers in Sabah should be open to working in the peninsula.

“I am sure that the employers (at the Perdana Career Carnival) will provide accommodation and transportation needed for you to work,” he said.

Meanwhile, Yakub said despite Sabah having fewer job opportunities than in the peninsula, Sabah’s agriculture industry offers a lot of opportunities, but the locals have a mindset that jobs in agriculture are “dirty” and tough.  

“Sabah actually has a lot of job opportunities in the agriculture sector. Don’t think that all jobs in the estates are ‘disgusting’; we must think that these jobs will generate income for us.  

The people, especially the youths must change their mentality. Don’t seek jobs that are only related to their degree courses. Don’t wait. Just take whatever opportunity that comes.  

“Use the opportunities to gain knowledge and skills,” he said.  

The carnival, which was jointly organised by the Human Resource Development Department and Perkeso, was participated by 17 companies offering over 500 job vacancies.  

Yakub said the carnival is part of the government’s efforts to address the unemployment issue in Sabah, given that 2,667 people in Sabah had lost their jobs from January to November last year.  

Meanwhile, a jobseeker at the carnival, Nur Atiqah Izzaty Mohd Jat, 26, said that she had spent the last six months looking for a job but to no avail.  

She achieved her biology degree from Universiti Teknologi Mara (Sabah campus) but could not find a job in Sandakan, despite setting her target lower and open for opportunities that are unrelated to her degree.  

“I am happy for a career carnival such as this because it makes it easier for jobseekers like me. I have applied to five companies today, mostly for jobs that are related to my degree.  

“There are several companies that require me to work in the peninsula, but I do not mind leaving Sandakan for a better opportunity. I believe a lot of young people like me in Sandakan would leave the district in search of a better income,” she told The Vibes.  

However, Nur Atiqah said if given a choice, she would want to stay in Sandakan, close to her family. –The Vibes, January 23, 2022