Kesuma to go all out on skills training
Kesuma will work together in implementing high-value skills training for Malaysian workers.
PUTRAJAYA - Human Resource Ministry (Kesuma) will go all out on skills training, ensuring every Malaysian has the opportunity to enhance skills through upskilling and reskilling.
Its Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong said Kesuma realises that better wage compensation is closely related to higher success and it can be achieved through higher skills.
Therefore, this year, he said Kesuma will work together in implementing high-value skills training for Malaysian workers.
"We will utilise funds within the Ministry amounting to RM2.56 billion to provide various training and skills to the Malaysians.
"There are various courses offered, you name it we have it, including cutting-edge fields such as AI, robotics, 5G technology, computers, and green skills.
"We will go all out on skills training, ensuring that every Malaysian citizen has the opportunity to enhance skills through upskilling, reskilling, and cross-skilling," he said at Labour Day Celebration 2024 held in Putrajaya Internation Convention Centre (PICC) today.
Steven said Kesuma is also committed to strengthening social protection for workers and the Malaysian people.
Commenting further, Steven said Kesuma has conducted around 20 events throughout the Labour Day Celebration 2024 period.
"There are a series of forums with workers' associations, representatives from employers, assemblies, integrity pledges, the ASEAN Green Forum, Green Skills and Green Job Fair, and more.
"This year, for the first time, we organised the Mara TikTok Poetry Competition in collaboration with the Language and Literature Bureau," he stated.
Steven also noted that Kesuma job carnival offers over 10,000 career opportunities to Malaysians.
"There is the Kesuma MyFutureJob career carnival held nationwide starting yesterday, offering over 10,000 job opportunities to Malaysians. I was informed that yesterday, over 3,000 visitors have visited, and nearly 400 interviews have been successful. Congratulations to all," he said.
At the same event, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the changes to the respective labour ordinances in Sabah and Sarawak will also include better protection against discrimination and sexual harassment at work.
Anwar said Sabah and Sarawak had agreed to amend the Sabah Labour Ordinance 1949 and the Sarawak Labour Ordinance 1952 respectively, which will be tabled in the next Parliament meeting.
"The governments of Sabah and Sarawak have also agreed to make amendments to the Labourr Ordinance of Sabah (Ordinance Cap 67) and Sarawak (Ordinance Chapter 76) to be harmonised with the Labourr Act 1955 which applies in Peninsular Malaysia.
"So it seems that in terms of workers' interests, the peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak are on the same line," he said.
He further said that employees in Sabah and Sarawak can soon look forward to longer maternity and paternity leave.
This follows his announcement that the Bornean states have agreed to streamline their respective labour ordinances with provisions under the Employment Act 1955.
"Maternity leave for working mothers in Sabah and Sarawak will be increased from 60 to 98 days (in line with) the Act.
"Working fathers there will also get seven paternity leave days," he said.
Labour Day celebration became even more merrier when Anwar Ibrahim announced the good news that civil servants would enjoy more than 13per cent salary increase, which is the highest rate in the history of the country's public service, starting December 1.
He said that previously the highest amount of salary increase for civil servants was at a rate of 13 per cent, but the Madani Government will ensure that the amount will be higher than that.
“For next year, when we start implementing, it will reach more than RM10 billion, because the amount is quite large and the increase is quite good and this is the best increase in the country.
"We will also examine from a financial point of view and how it can cover but at the same time the national debt is not more (than it should be)," he said.
