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JEMPOL: The starting salary for graduates entering the labor market is expected to be higher in the next three to four months and the country’s economy is expected to recover, said Economy Minister Mustapa Mohamed.
He said the government was aware that the salary received by new graduates last year was low and attributed the situation to the Covid-19 pandemic, which negatively affected the country’s economic growth, as well as globally.
“Last year we experienced the worst economic recession in history, so job opportunities were low and, of course, graduates were willing to receive lower wages.
“We want Malaysians to enjoy higher wages and salaries, it is a problem when the starting salary of graduates has not increased in the last 10 to 20 years,” he told reporters after visiting the young ginger plantation project in Felda Raja Alias 1 here today. .
He said it had been the government’s aspiration to create more quality job opportunities so that newly hired graduates could enjoy higher salaries.
Two days ago, it was reported that the chief statistician Mohd Uzir Mahidin said that most of the graduates who entered the labor market last year received a monthly salary of between RM1,001 and RM1,500 compared to the average of RM2, 001 to RM2,500 registered. in 2019.
Uzir said the number of recent graduates entering the job market also declined last year, as did the labor force participation rate among young graduates.
Meanwhile, Mustapa said that RM 10 million had been allocated for the young ginger cultivation project in the Felda Raja Alias region, out of the RM 100 million allocated by the government to Felda through the Settlers Development Program. (PPP) this year.
The project, carried out in cooperation with Agrobank, aims to increase the settlers’ income and reduce the country’s dependence on young ginger imports, including from China.
“We import RM200 million worth of young ginger a year from foreign countries. So, in line with the government’s goal of reducing imports and increasing food security, we encourage farmers to plant young ginger because of its market potential, ”he said.
He added that so far Felda has approved a total of 132 projects through APP with 63 projects undertaken by individuals, while another 69 by cooperatives.
