KUALA LUMPUR – Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan has lauded the Budget 2023 announcement as a “nation-building” one, owing to its focus on improving Malaysia’s workforce.
Saravanan also praised the government’s budget allocation of RM750 million for Human Resource Development Corp (HRD Corp) to provide skills training for over 800,000 employees.
He said with the country embracing the fourth industrial revolution, the need for reskilling and upskilling has become a way of life in the country.
“I believe the RM750 million budget will help achieve the aspirations of the ministry to build digital talent. It is very helpful,” he told The Vibes when contacted yesterday.
“I believe this budget is very much geared towards the younger generation. It is definitely for nation-building.”
In November last year, the Human Resources Development Fund was rebranded as the Human Resource Development Corporation (HRD Corp) in line with its expanded mandate to ensure all Malaysians are trained and employable.
With the rebranding, HRD Corp will not only collect levies for the purposes of upskilling and reskilling employees but also function as a corporate body that ensures the national agenda for human capital development remains on track.
During the tabling of the budget, Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz said the government had also allocated RM6.7 billion under seven key ministries for the implementation of various technical and vocational education and training initiatives in 2023, including an RM180 million allocation to provide loans to 12,000 trainees.
According to Bernama, Tengku Zafrul also said the government would continue with employment incentives under the Social Security Organisation by paying RM600 to RM750 per month for three months to employers for hiring unemployed youths.
The finance minister also announced an RM150 million incentive for private sector employers to hire veterans and locals to replace foreigners, a move tipped to provide career opportunities for more than 70,000 job seekers.
Tengku Zafrul also said the government will provide mobility assistance of RM500 to jobseekers who find jobs outside their home states, adding that RM1,000 in mobility assistance will be given to those who migrate long distances between Sabah, Sarawak, and Peninsular Malaysia.
He also announced the continuation of the government’s short-term MySTEP employment programme to offer 50,000 contractual jobs, among others.
Asked whether the government had responded well to the budget requests from his ministry, Saravanan agreed.
“It focuses on job placement, reskilling, upskilling, hiring incentives, and also takes into consideration those from all walks of life, including persons with disabilities, former convicts, and the ageing population,” he said. – The Vibes, October 8, 2022
