Answer for Oral Question PL058

QUESTION

Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Suyoi bin Haji Osman

YANG BERHORMAT PEHIN ORANG KAYA INDERA PAHLAWAN DATO SERI SETIA AWANG HAJI SUYOI BIN HAJI OSMAN asked MENTERI DI JABATAN PERDANA MENTERI to state whether the Prime Minister’s Office has projections on the number and fields of employment that will be created in the years leading up to 2035.

ANSWER

Yang Berhormat Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri

In this regard, by 2035, the employed population is expected to reach 265,700 people, representing an increase of more than 40,000 employment opportunities compared with the current position. This projection is based on macroeconomic assumptions relating to demographics, the labour market and economic growth under the Economic Blueprint. Insha Allah, this increase will be supported through the following:

• First, Foreign Direct Investment (Foreign Direct Investment – FDI) has the potential to create employment opportunities for local people beyond the capacity currently generated by the national economy. As Kaola also shared during the third day of the meeting, Insha Allah, the 18 investment projects currently in the implementation phase are expected to create approximately 3,000 employment opportunities when fully operational;

• Second, the spillover effects or spin-offs from these investment projects are also expected to create additional employment opportunities based on the employment multiplier. However, the extent of these spillover effects depends on the type of sector, the level of technology use and automation, as well as the involvement of local enterprises in the supply chain. In general, technology-intensive projects such as downstream petrochemical and energy sectors tend to generate more moderate spillover effects, whereas more labour-intensive sectors such as aquaculture and seafood processing have the potential to create greater spillover effects through supply chains involving the supply of animal feed, cold-chain logistics, packaging, distribution, and the involvement of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs); and

• Third, strengthening localisation through policies and improvements to recruitment by ensuring that suitable positions are prioritised for local people before foreign workers are recruited. This approach serves as a strategy to increase employment opportunities through responsible foreign worker displacement, in line with the need to balance economic growth, business operational sustainability and employment opportunities for local people.

In terms of the types of employment, various occupations are expected to be required among professionals, technicians, management personnel, operators and service workers in priority areas such as downstream industries, food, services and tourism.

Therefore, to ensure the provision of a suitable workforce, the Prime Minister’s Office, through the Manpower Planning Office (PPTM), will continue to work with the Ministry of Education as well as higher education and training institutions to ensure that local people possess the relevant skills, capabilities and experience to take advantage of the employment opportunities available by 2035.