P Kamalanathan proposes wage subsidies for SMEs, government-funded AI tools for students and matching grants for community education funds.
He said the government should use the budget to support the Progressive Wage Policy, provide students with access to AI learning tools, and introduce matching grants for community-based education funds.
Kamalanathan said the government should measure the 2027 budget – which will be tabled on Friday – not only by the amount of financial assistance provided but also by whether it improved the value of work and raised wages.
“The government could cover 50% of the wage increase for 12 months for MSMEs with fewer than 50 workers that raise the salaries of graduate employees from RM1,700 to RM2,200,” he said in a statement.
The former Hulu Selangor MP estimated that the measure would cost about RM800 million but said it could encourage formal employment and increase contributions to EPF and the Social Security Organisation.
He also proposed using savings from the rationalisation of targeted RON95 subsidies to support wage increases.
Kamalanathan said the 2027 budget should also prioritise skills development by providing every Form 5 and TVET student with a government-funded AI learning-tool subscription. He estimated the cost to be about RM100 per student a year, or RM200 million for two million students.
He also called for a RM50 million matching grant for community-based revolving education funds, including the Malaysian Indian Education Trust (MIED), Yayasan Peneraju and Chinese community loan funds.
Kamalanathan said community-based education initiatives such as MIED – which has provided RM241.5 million in loans to 14,955 Indian students since 1984, mainly for those studying medicine and engineering – should receive greater government support. - FMT
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