SHAH ALAM - With the nation still grappling with the economic and social effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, Malaysian youth however are still hopeful that there are enough employment and business opportunities to go around, provided they know where to look.
Many are now seeking better employment terms before committing to a workplace while some are building their own business instead, in hopes to retire in their golden years relatively well.
While middle-income households struggle with limited earning potential, shrinking savings, rising household debt, among many other challenges, Malaysian youth are facing issues of being properly employed and getting the life that they often wanted, off the ground.
For Najihah Haroon, 28, she yearns to have enough capital to open her own business in the future.
However, at the moment, working in the private sector, she prefers future employment opportunities to come with a stable income and a great retirement package so she could retire comfortably.
"As I work in the private sector, I have always discussed possible retirement plans with my friends where I will receive retirement benefits based on the money I have paid in and the performance of my investments.
"I think I need to work smart and hard in order to live peacefully when I retire,” she said.
Working in the human resource department, Nurfarah Suhaida Roslan, 28, stated that she is aware that there are many types of work available, especially in the technology industries and even social media.
Nurfarah said many now are utilising these platforms and even began to explore other avenues such as being a social media influencer as a full time career.
However, Nurfarah said she is more drawn in to work as a takaful or insurance agent as the industry properly rewards those who put in the effort and could provide a comfortable living even well into retirement.
"I wanted a job with proper retirement planning like a company that provides takaful plans for their staff or hospital benefits when I retire from the company.
"Hospital benefits are also important since I might get health issues when I get older, so the health benefits should be offered to the employees who has served more than 20 years ,” she said.
Meanwhile, a young male-only who only wanted to be known as Martin, said it is very unlikely for new industries to be formed with the current economic policies, but there is potential for a booming film industry if significant reforms are made.
The 23-year-old also said that he would prefer to pursue a career in the film industry since his expertise involved writing and editing creative contents
"I would prefer a job that is enjoyable yet challenging, easy to learn yet hard to master, with some decent retirement and health benefits too,” he explained.
He also urged the government to step up reforms and the appropriate policies to tackle the country's ageing population or risk having the issue affecting future generations.
For Nanthini Suresh, 24, she expressed hope for Malaysian youth seeking employment in new industries propelled by the fourth industrial revolution and urged her fellow youth to develop new skills that could fit well with their jobs.
"Since we live in a world where most things are done digitally now, I hope the youth today will sharpen their skill and knowledge for the digital world,'' she said.
Nanthini however, said that companies should give fresh graduates a chance rather than emphasising experience as a major requirement.
"I hope more young graduates will be given a chance to work as most of the companies hiring today are looking at experiences. There are more graduates with excellent skills who are waiting for the proper opportunities, so give a chance for them to work rather than looking at their experience,'' said the content writer.
Another content writer, Abia Iris Amala Dass, 24, also concur with Nanthini, stating that while the country has a lot of employment potential spread across various sectors, employers are not keen to hire fresh graduates without any prior experience.
"I hope employers would reconsider this requirement and take chances on fresh graduates who are seeking to be properly employed. For now most of the requirements are asking more than one year of experience,'' she said.