While the uproar over the BTN continues, let’s look at what happens to some of our university students after they graduate.
The following was the answer received by Selayang MP William Leong in Parliament recently:
In 2004, there were 4,594 unemployed graduates of whom 163 were Chinese, 207 were Indians and 4,060 were Malays;
In 2005, there were 2,413 unemployed graduates of whom 31 were Chinese, 70 were Indians and 2,186 were Malays;
In 2006, there were 56,750 unemployed graduates of whom 1,110 were Chinese, 1,346 were Indians and 50,594 were Malays.
In 2007, there were 56,322 unemployed graduates of whom 1,348 were Chinese, 1,401 were Indians and 49,075 were Malays.
In 2008 (as of June) there were 47,910 unemployed graduates of whom 1,403 Chinese, 4,694 Indians and 41,813 were Malays.
This more or less tallied with the 47,733 active graduate registrants on the Malaysian Labour Exchange in June 2008.
By March 2009, Najib was talking about 60,000 unemployed graduates. This was more or less in line with the 57,701 graduate registrants on the Exchange in March 2009.
By October 2009, we were looking at 81,046 active graduate registrants on the Labour Exchange – and another 70,747 active registrants who are diploma holders.
Mind you, this is after the civil service absorbs thousands of graduates every year.
Clearly, we have a problem with unemployed graduates (and diploma and certificate holders).
Maybe we are producing graduates with skills that can’t be used/knowledge that cannot earn them a living or that are not up to employers’ expectations. Or maybe they are not taught how to be independent and self-sufficient and how to put their skills and knowledge to good use. Perhaps they are spoon-fed so much and closeted from the real world, they don’t have the ability to think analytically and critically. Or maybe they are not taught how to carry out independent research and inquiry and are more used to rote-learning.
Or all of the above.
Check out how much it costs to re-train these graduates here.
Meanwhile, those Umno/BN chaps are arguing over who is more racist (re: BTN) when there are so many unemployed graduates around, the majority of them Malay. What will happen to them?
After having conducted several interviews with our local grads, I just wouldn’t want to touch them again, not even with a 10-foot pole. Well, to UMNO – once again, the chicken has come home to roost or you now reap what you sow. Anil, thanks for a very enlightening report.
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There are too many tuans around.
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For the longest time, I have always said that the biggest time bomb is not our deficit or slowdown in investments but these unemployed graduates. The problem is actually bigger than just the numbers. Its the gap in those that have been properly trained and those not.
The gap is growing every year. The elite Malays are choosing to work abroad and properly trained even to the extent of going to Singapore, Hong Kong and China to get those opportunities. While those stuck here, even if they have a job, are falling behind skill wise. As industry change ever more faster, its eventuality that many, even if they have a job, will lose it long before they can retire or have completed their obligations to their young families. In about ten years if we don’t upgrade our industries, you will see huge numbers of middle-age graduates who can’t get a job defaulting on housing loans, credit cards, broken families. It will be a financial disaster not unlike what is happening in the US right now…
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The BN/dUMNO govt has without doubt, successfully planted the seige mentality and spoonfeeding of the majority race to keep them docile, spineless … so they remain UNEMPLOYABLE unless obsorbed into the already bloasted, inefficient civil service!
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Unemployed graduates in Malaysia – http://bit.ly/6Xc68w
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Just look at the standard of our lecturers at the local universities. Sorry to say, they are mostly of ‘kangkong’ quality. Again, sorry to brand them this way. I went through the education process locally and I never had much confidence in their ability. They hold titles such as Prof Assoc Prof Dr and some with Dato’ added, but they are not even able to teach in proper English. They speak very bad English. Content-wise they know too little – recycling the same stuff throughout. Most of their academic papers are recycled stuff. How do we expect our students to be good in English then? Students also lack knowledge and lack quality. I know of an accounting firm that only employs competent graduates. Unfortunately, most MARA (UiTM) are not to the mark. They can’t speak proper English, lack skills and knowledge and have little PR with the non-Malays. I just pity them. Blame the government for this. Another point is there are not enough jobs for these graduates. Investors are leaving the country. Not many investors are coming into the country. Many local businessmen have moved out of the country. Capital outflow is increasing. This is the scenario in the country. TEACH OUR STUDENTS TO COMPETE IN MULTI-RACIAL SETTINGS FROM PRE-SCHOOL TO THE WORKPLACE. No race can survive in isolation. The government has to realise this. Stop all these double-standard entries to varsities and one-race educational institutions.
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you guys are RACIST
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Retraining graduates is throwing good money after bad.
These people are not capable enough to be passed in the first place. Giving them a piece of paper, changes their mindsets that they are not suitable for low level jobs. They will not lower their status to tale more menial jobs. They are too spoilt. They become a burden to society.
Imagine, we have a 60K good factory workers now non-employable because of the curse of a piece of paper.
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In my opinion, those Malay overseas graduates did work with MNCs in Penang are quite capable to be CEO for any local companies. They have to work like … as others when they were engineers.
I have to say sorry for MARA and local-trained Malay graduates. They are just a bunch of spoilt kids.
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you better publish my comment.. this is free expression of speech freedom .. if you not publish my comments…. there’s no difference between you and the Utusan hypocrites
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Comments are published subject to guidelines found here:
http://anilnetto.com/guidelines-for-commenting/
A gentle reminder to readers:
“Racist, sexist, hate-speech or other derogatory or offensive comments will be deleted. Unnecessary references to race will be removed. Avoid running down any ethnic group, making sweeping statements and generalisations, or resorting to ethnic stereotyping…”
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nevermind my friend… their days are numbered… soon they will call us ‘Tuan’ to get a job
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keep your cool. Not nice to be racist. People with high esteem respectful of others. Hope your understand Anilnetto.com
cheers
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Soon doctors are going to join the ranks of the unemployed. New medical schools are ferociously being opened, usually for monetary gain.
It is estimated that we will have a surplus of 3,500 doctors by 2014. Over 5,000 or more doctors will be graduating then , from the 25 or so , local medical schools plus the hundreds more from colleges in Indonesia,India,Pakistan, Egypt, Russia….. There are plans for even more medical schools. It was reported in today’s newspapers that a new medical school is being built in Perak, at a cost of $ 800 million, and will have some 10,000 students.
The standard of some of these medical schools is shocking with much of the teaching being done via the computer or on human models.There is little or no bedside teaching by experienced clinical lecturers.
After graduation, there is a two year housemanship program which is essential to gain practical experience.. The wards in many general hospitals are so overcrowded with these housemen , that the practical experience one gains is grossly inadequate.
In less than a decade, we will become like the Phillippines, where thousands of medical doctors are forced to work overseas as nurses.
So in addition to exporting maids and manual workers, we will also be exporting nurses with MDs.
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While this posting doesn’t have much to do with the discussion generated by anil’s posting (my apologies), I just wanted to remind Peter Teoh about the work nursing staff contributed during a patient’s journey as an in-patient. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with nurses with MDs (although personally I haven’t come across any). Nurses are part of the mutildisciplinary team that provide care to you and me when one is admitted to a hospital. and the role of nurses and medics are quite different but essential to the care of the patients.
Staff nurse
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Another entry into the Malaysian Book of Records i.e. mass production of unemployed/unemployable graduates.
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the numbers published cannot just be read as it is. i mean > 1) it doesn’t reflect actual proportion of race. 2) how come chinese being the larger group than indian having less unemployement number than indian. 3)malays make-up +/-90% from total unemployment when all the country education resources are mostly channelled to them(mara loan, jpa and so on..). minimum 30% bumi quota employment are still being practice.
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From a former PM to current Ministers and their deputies, the reasons they give to justify BTN is laughable.
Anyone who buy their story must be morons or………..cronies.
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Please don’t laugh so much bout the bloated civil sector. If PR were to win the next election and form the next government, wonder what r they going to do with the excess employees and r they going to absorb the next round of graduates entering the job market?
This would be an interesting topic to discuss. Anyway, right now, Malaysia is full of universities that u have never heard before. Wonder where we get so many lecturers…
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PR able to win next GE? Dream on.
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Without dreams the excesses of the BN will continue…
With dreams it will shattered the corruptible activities and excesses of these UMNO – BN and their lapdogs like Gerakan, MCA, PPP & MIC wipe off once and for all. Who need Gerakan K any more….. he can shout his hell out…..
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They churning out lecturers of no quality to teach our children. They are churning out Profs Assoc Profs and Drs who cannot perform. Titles they have do not reflect their ability. Education has become a show. The quality is not there. Theses are plagiarised, research papers are plagiarised and cut-and-paste, theses and papers are outsourced, lecturers are busy showing the same piece at dubious exhibitions, Lecturers cannot even speak English (the medium used)properly to teach students, it goes on and on…
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My friend was just an assistance professor in HK three years ago already published 60 over papers in the renowned journals. Anyway he is a local graduate, got his master in NUS and PhD in NTU Singapore.
How many full professors in the Bolehland ever published more than 10 papers in the world-class journals? Believe me, the number is less than your fingers.
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It will get worse.
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Dear Anilnetto
The problem lies with population control, i mean lack of. It’s an awful topic to discuss but this is a fact – Msians shld have just one or two kids. It’s not abt human right as many would put it, that ppl shld hv a football team since it’s their right, rather it’s a solemn duty and awesome responsibility to bring up children and make sure they are well-educated & able to fend for themselves. Quality over quantity. People here must be practical & realistic. This is a fact of life.
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Anil
Thanks for this enlightening article, albeit many kind of aware to some degree.
The comments here are valid, especially the part about (some of these workers) cannot be scolded and their habit of going on MC and MIA way to often, are absolutely true. Also based on my experience it is frustrating working for bosses who are not competent, just as it is sad working for those who are racist (in this respect non-malays cannot be exempted!.)
But with this lot, we have to stomach their shortcomings and their very cool attitude, and not complain! Every now and then they can be caught laughing and making sick jokes. They also have this one bad habit of wasting all the day-light hours and getting down to work when the sun sets and later chill which ever open air outlet.
That is why they can’t understand why other races don’t do the same at work!
Anyway, I have a request. It will be good if you can check this out as several of my contacts are curious about this issue.
Once you opt for VSS, from say parent company, which deals with drinks and one of its stable products later separates and ventures on its own setting up a second company, can those who took up the VSS offer from the parent company and worked in the same product, be employed by this company lets refer to it as B within one year, with same work and bosses? There is a rule that states, one has to wait for more than two years before being employed I think? Is this true?
Otherwise, a person can become rich overnight, as is happening in a particular industry. No prizes for guessing it right. But then this is Malaysia Boleh
Anonymous
Thanks
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Malaysians are becoming “tidak apa” attitude. Most young graduates are lazy, take things lightly and irresponsible. While those with diploma and working as clerk are much more better than them in term of attitude. The professionals are now not professional at all. So, may employers go after computerised system and high tech processing.
Less jobs have caused serious competition and salary level has never increase for the last 20 years while the inflation rate is constantly rise at 2-5% a year. In 1990, fresh graduate got a start pay at RM1500. In 2009, the fresh graduate still getting a start pay of RM1500.
The salary pay to fresh graduate are peanuts and not even can sustain their lifestyle. Pay mobile phone, car installment and housing loan, petrol, parking and fuel. The cost of living is so high in this country. Many opt to becomes sales persons rather than sitting in office earning peanuts salary.
Popular saying, “you pay peanut, and you just get a monkey”….
In Architect firm, there is almost no more draughtswoman or draughtman as the architect themselves are doing the drafting using AUTOCAD.
In Banking, we can use internet banking. One click to make payment without queuing and sweating. Paperless trading now.
I would encourage people to be a mechanic and skill technician which made RM10-20k a month. A antenna technician charge RM350 to install your antenna within 30 min to 1 hour. A plumber charge RM120 for a choke drain which is only 10min to 20 min job.
So, the choice is yours. Get a degree and work as a technician.
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not forgetten, so many cases i’ve heard from my friends where the chinese are being paid well for the same position compares to others. secondly it’s difficult for non-chinese to sit/move on to top position unless it’s for ‘political’ reason. In the paper recruitment, we can see most of the employers demands for experience, education and some related kind of personalities. but does it really cares? coz i also heard young chinese guy/girl will be suddenly leading a group without having any experience and knowledge but will slowly learn through a very good internal political way to achieve big position….
in this country both goverment(malay dominated) and private sector(chinese dominated) are not sincere enough….
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first, i would like to clarify here i am no discriminate any races, i based on my 10 years experiences for sharing. I found some graduate has big problem in English and knowledges regardless of races, but more obvious in Malay, unadmitedly some Malay graduate is very smart but the number not a lot. I think probably the quota dragged down their standard, so some time i felt is it very important to show off the number instead of quality?
I not very influence in English but at least can speak understandable English and read email, but i knew some not even can read and write proper, one of my friend told me a funny story, in her factory one of her colleague came back to her because he can comprehend her email, she was so surprise with the young fresh graduate, i also very surprised!!! I can’t believe that worst we are today, until one day I interview a diploma holder, i found out he always telling the month like bulan sepuluh, so i test him like what is November, January etc, i am shock that he not know! Finally i have to reject him….sigh
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If “ken” is complaining about the standard of English in this country, the situation must be really serious. Critical.
sorry about this Anil … you can choose to delete this post ..;)
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Could it be that we are producing too many graduates than there are suitable jobs available for?
I graduated in 1979 with a UK degree in electronics and upon return to Malaysia, I landed a job as a process engineer in National Semiconductor within three months and such this as “retraining” were unheard of back then, whether one was a local or overseas graduate.
Perhaps Malaysia needs to revert back to increasing its vocational training facilities where people who are not all that academically inclined can acquire practical skills and work as technicians, craftsmen and so on.
Unfortunately, vocational training has a stigma attached to it due to the academic emphasis of our school system, which emphasises academic achievement, and where vocational schools are regarded as places where “failures” go, which is a load of rubbish.
This perhaps is a hangover of the time when the only well-paying jobs in Malaysia were in government service and a degree helped one go further with higher pay.
However, this changed dramitically with Malaysia’s industrialisation.
In many of the developed countries, people with vocational skills often earn more than university graduates.
How many doctors, lawyers, accountants and so on can repair their own car but turn to a mechanic instead, or call in the plumber to fix their piping problems?
Today, with the emphasis on education in IT subjects, are we churning out too many graduates for the jobs available?
Remember, one does not need to be especially proficient in English to work in a technical job, otherwise Japanese, Korean, German and other workers in non-English speaking countries would not be able to produce the excellent products which they do.
Do read Eamonn Fingleton’s book In Praise of Hard Industries: Why Manufacturing, Not the Information Economy is the Key to Future Prosperity
http://www.unsustainable.org/index.asp?type=article&contentID=47
In it, Fingleton argues that manufacturing industries are great providers of mass employment for people with average levels of education, such as the Japanese industrial workers, most of who have the equivalent of a high-school diploma, while with information and communications and services economies, you have an elite of highly trained, highly skilled and highly paid information workers and a huge army of low paid services workers.
Unfortunately, globalisation is resulting in the outflow of manufacturing jobs to lower wage countries where most don’t speak English anyway, though the neo-liberal ideology of globalisation, open borders, free markets is increasingly becoming discredited worldwide.
Our government policy makers swallowed the propaganda of post-industrialists such as John Naisbitt, Alvin Toffler, Don Tapscott, Nicholas Negroponter, Kenichi Ohmae and others and look now at the result.
Perhaps someone should do a survey of how many IT graduates serve coffee in Starbucks.
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People may call MARA graduates spoilt kids or unmarketable but there are just based on assumption and generalisation or probably ..hatred?.
MARA produced thousand of graduates yearly compare to other Universities so not all will get a good placement in Companies. Many companies besides having some bias on MARA graduate are also owned by certain races that prefered to nurture their own, hence creating disadvantages on Bumiputera part.
Citing MARA students unable to speak English well are quite shallow and based on selected individual judgement only. MARA students are able to speak english well in fact better then non MARA graduates since all teaching are in English. The students are required to prepare proposal, assignments and answering test and exam also in english. So they are at some extent has an exposure in term of communcating in English (bare with me, many customers in Malaysia are not using good english either so the ability to be understood should be considered).
I used to work in a leading Bank for 12 good years before deciiding to pursue my eduction and I would like to assure you, in my Bank, MARA students are sought after because WE speak and talk better..and we are humble people.
To be honest practice makes perfect, If a company willing to take an honest, hardworking young graduates they will soar high irrespective they can speak english or not. English is a matter of practice.
And go down to Industrial Court, how many good english communicator are sacked because they are not honest or for whatever reason.
The KEY here is getting a right people to do the right job and this should be a trustworthy person..give young MARA graduates a chance because they are really a good workers!!..
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To the commentar done by nkkhoo on 15 Dec 2009
I am very disapointed with your comment on that particular subject.
In your comment, you did mention that local trained Malay graduates and MARA students were called as ” just a bunch of spoilt kids”. Please keep in your mind that such statement is very sensitive and touch the Malay race.
Your comments does not giving any motivation even suggestions on how to improve it. In my point of view, such statement is coming from a mind of non-educated person that just want to comment but dont know how to write it well.
I am hoping that nkkhoo should study on how to improve your comment style since in our Malay culture we does learn to make comment in much better way that u had .
If Malaysia is not governed by Malay people as Dato Najib, Tun Mahathir and many more, I dont think (there will be harmony among citizens).
Thank you
Ir. Shamsul Karim
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You are right, Shamsul, that phrase by nkkhoo was a sweeping statement or a stereotyping. Thanks for pointing it out.
Please commenters, refrain from stereotyping people based on religion and race.
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