YAN – The lack of job opportunities in Kedah, especially in this district, is seen to be the main reason pushing many young people to migrate to other places to find a source of income.
A resident of Kg Tengah Sg Limau Dalam, Nur Aini Fatihah Shaharol, 19, said fresh graduates also find it challenging to secure a job because employers prefer to hire adults with work experience.
“Here, job opportunities are not open to everyone, so it is difficult for young people to start a career. Most employers prefer older people, and they don’t want youth because we have no experience,” she said when met here recently.
To prevent young people from migrating, Nur Aini said, the government needs to develop the Yan district and surrounding areas to create more job opportunities and, in turn, stimulate economic growth.
A resident of Kg Kuala Dulang Kechil, Mohamad Redzuan Yusof, 26, said that young people find it hard to land jobs because many of them drop out of school due to financial difficulties.
The air nira (palm sap) seller said these dropouts can only opt for temporary jobs such as assisting fishermen and farmers or taking part in construction works with daily earnings.
“It is difficult to find jobs now because you need certificates. I hope that we can get employed even without qualifications. Give young people opportunities to work. Otherwise, they will sit around doing nothing,” he said.
Commenting on the issue, Perikatan Nasional's parliamentary candidate for Jerai, Sabri Azit, said Yan is an agricultural district and other sectors, including manufacturing, that often have many job openings remain underdeveloped.
Therefore, the Jerai incumbent said, the agriculture industry in the state needs to be empowered with the use of the latest technology so that young people are more interested in venturing into the sector.
Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom said Yan has several interesting locations that need to be aggressively promoted to develop the tourism sector in the area, thus creating more job opportunities for all.
Meanwhile, several candidates vying to win the Sg Petani parliamentary seat have also expressed their determination to assist young people.
BN candidate Datuk Shahanim Muhammad Yusoff promised to help them find jobs and training under the Majlis Amanah Rakyat and National Entrepreneur Group Economic Fund schemes.
The former special officer to the rural development minister said she would try her best to get a public university, a race track and a sports complex to be built in the area, which could help generate more job opportunities for the people.
For Pejuang candidate Datuk Marzuki Yahya, good communication infrastructure and stable internet connection are vital to encourage more young people to venture into online businesses.
“In addition, the eco-tourism and historical tourism industry need to be developed in the area so that it can provide a source of income for young people who can become tour guides, handicraft sellers or other service providers,” he said. – Bernama, November 13, 2022
