PARLIAMENT | Human Resources Minister M Kulasegaran has acknowledged that part of the reason youths are more willing to work dirty, dangerous and difficult ("3D") jobs overseas than in Malaysia is because of the low pay for those jobs here.
If the salaries for such jobs in Malaysia were raised, he believes it could entice youths to stay on and work in the country.
"It is true that many of our youths are working overseas, even in 3D jobs, because the pay there is good.
"If we increase their pay and other initiatives or incentives are given, I believe many among them who want to work overseas can and may work here," Kulasegaran said in the Dewan Rakyat today during the minister's question-and-answer session.
He was responding to Khairy Jamaluddin (BN-Rembau), who had asked about the perception that many youths are unwilling to take on 3D jobs in Malaysia due to the low pay and whether increasing the minimum wage to RM1,500 would attract more youths to 3D jobs.
Kulasegaran said it is not merely perception, and added that it is good for the ministry to be focusing on 3D jobs as currently there are more than two million foreigners working in those industries in Malaysia.
The current minimum wage is RM1,000 in Peninsular Malaysia and RM920 in East Malaysia. It is set to be increased to RM1,100 across the board, beginning next year.
Malaysia’s youth unemployment rate, which hit a record high of 10.8 percent last year, is around three times higher than the average rate of unemployment in the country. Mkini
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