On labour Day Message at Kuala Lumpur, MCA President, Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai recognized the hard work, tireless dedication and sacrifices of the working class and said that their efforts were the cornerstone of the Malaysian economy.
He noted that there was a need to grow a workforce that was competitive on a global scale as the country developed towards a high-income nation by 2020, with 1.3 million job openings in the vocational sector. “On this score, it is imperative to have technical and vocational education and training in order to produce a skilled workforce,” added Liow, who is also Transport Minister.
He said it was a core focus for MCA to raise the bar for vocational training in Malaysia via its Vocational Institute Tunku Abdul Rahman (VTAR), which has entered a collaboration with the local furniture industry to train and hone a new generation of skilled master craftsmen.
“We strongly believe that the various training programmes that VTAR offers will contribute significantly to developing a talent pool of highly-skilled craftsmen in the long-term,” he added. Liow also noted that the logistics sector was another rapidly growing industry with great opportunities and potential. “E-commerce has rapidly permeated every facet of our lives and there is a rising demand for speed, convenience and above all, reliability, in the logistics sector,” he added.
To this end, the Logistics and Trade Masterplan and the inter-ministerial National Logistics Taskforce, headed by Liow and his ministry, were launched to spur the logistics and transportation sector. “It also works closely with other committees to drive joint initiatives, including a collaboration with the National e-Commerce Council, with the aim of improving and expanding e-commerce amongst our local logistics service providers,” added Liow.
He said the Government strongly believed that these initiatives would have a positive and lasting impact on the nation’s development, and urged the rakyat to seize the chance to transform the workforce into one that was highly skilled and highly productive.
Liow wished the people a Happy Labour Day and a safe journey for those travelling over the long weekend.
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