Daily HR News 20.1.2025

1. Sim: Malaysia’s Labour Market Faces Significant Challenges Posed By Three Paradoxes

HR Minister Steven Sim highlighted three paradoxes challenging Malaysia's labor market:

1.     Low median wage despite a low unemployment rate, which theoretically should empower workers to negotiate higher wages.

2.     Skills mismatch, with industries needing more highly skilled workers, yet many graduates are underemployed.

3.     Insufficient high-paying job opportunities for the increasing number of STEM and TVET graduates, as the economy creates only about 50,000 skilled jobs annually.

The government is addressing these issues through the MADANI Economy Framework, aiming to align workforce skills with industry demands.

Source: https://www.bernama.com/misc/rss/news.php?id=2384675

2. Trade Union Affairs Programme Funding Increased To RM10Mln - Sim

The Malaysian government has increased the allocation for the Trade Union Affairs Programme (PHEKS) to RM10 million in 2025, aiming to strengthen trade unions through enhanced skills training and technology adoption. Additionally, the Training and Education Programme cluster under PHEKS now has a RM30,000 allocation to promote union membership and leadership development.

Source: https://www.bernama.com/misc/rss/news.php?id=2384666