Khairy: 1 million jobs ‘bait’ by opposition won’t work

The era of political parties making ‘vague’ promises like this is over, says Umno Youth chief.

PUTRAJAYA: Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin has described Pakatan Harapan’s (HP) promise to create a million jobs in five years if it comes to power as “too vague”, adding that it will be rejected by the people.

He said each promise must be made clear with details and firm plans to convince the people.

“The era of making general promises is over. The people are wise to such baits,” he told reporters after launching the National Youth Day 2017 at Hotel Marriot Putrajaya today.

He compared the PH promise with the performance of the government which had proven its capability through programmes such as the Economic Transformation Programme and the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail project.

“These programmes have generated employment which are visible to the people.

“So if Pakatan wants to create one million jobs, they should show in what field, the investment involved, and where the allocation will come from,” said Khairy who is the youth and sports minister.

PH Youth leaders, at a media conference on May 12, made the promise on creating one million jobs if the coalition succeeds in the coming 14th general election to take over the government.

Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, the youth leader of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM), a member of PH, said that to achieve the objective, a PH government would reduce the number of registered foreign workers in the country from the present 3 million to 2.5 million within five years.

One way of reaching the target would be by making “3D” (dirty, dangerous, difficult) jobs now shunned by locals more attractive to them through incentives such as better pay and perks, he said.

Dyana Sofya Md Daud, a member of the DAP Youth committee, said the DAP-led PH Penang government had shown the way by spending about RM20m to attract more youths as local council workers.

She said the initiative received overwhelming response when 25,000 applied for the vacancies and 2,437 youths were now engaged in “3D” types of work with the Pulau Pinang City Council. -FMT