MALAYSIA must announce a financial package to create jobs and reskill workers immediately.
The government must announce impactful and immediate measures to cushion the economic blow due to the Covid-19 pandemic on our economy.
The country is facing the highest unemployment rates in 10 years and news is constantly trickling in that more companies are shutting down their businesses, which means more people are being retrenched.
The massive job losses have devastated livelihoods at unprecedented levels.
Malaysia has been silent on measures to curb this. Do they not think the situation is dire enough to warrant immediate attention?
Malaysia must announce a financial package that will create jobs to improve the employment situation in the country.
The government also must fund reskilling and upskilling training for workers for them to remain relevant in the wake of the “new normal” that is also shaping our economy.
The government also must be aware of the needs of the B40 and vulnerable communities. These groups are most affected by the current economic situation and need all the help they can get.
I suggest that immediate action be taken to set up traineeships, training and reskilling programmes for them.
The government can then work with companies to ensure that these workers are prioritised when they look to hire.
It is important that Malaysians pick up new skills to bring to their new jobs as the world and its economies are changing, and industries are demanding all sorts of new skills from their workers.
The government can also encourage more Malaysians to take up these programmes by offering a small allowance to encourage them.
It is disappointing that my suggestion of setting up bipartisan national task force to secure business sustainability and job security for all Malaysians was not even considered by the government.
The government must put aside political interest as the impact of Covid-19 threatens the nation as a whole.
The national task force that would comprise experts from the Human Resources Ministry, employers’ organisations, unions, opposition politicians and related agencies, would be a coordinated effort to ensure that job security is secured and contributes to economic stability in the long run.
A win-win situation between employers and employees should be worked out. – June 4, 2020.
* M. Kula Segaran is Ipoh MP, Perak DAP vice-chairman and former human resources minister.
* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight.
