In response to the persistent shortage of talent in certain sectors in Malaysia, the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) is considering a proposal to permit foreign graduates from local higher education institutions to work within the country.
Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, the MITI Minister, revealed ongoing discussions about the idea. One example under consideration involves allowing international students currently pursuing engineering degrees in Malaysian universities to work in the country after graduation. Presently, these students are not authorised to work in Malaysia, according to The Edge Malaysia.
Tengku Zafrul suggested exploring areas with a shortage of Malaysian professionals, particularly in value-added services such as the high technology sector, by permitting international students to work in Malaysia for a specified duration.
Highlighting the scale of the talent deficit, he emphasised the need for 50,000 engineers in the electrical and electronics (E&E) sector, while Malaysia produces only 5,000 engineer graduates annually, excluding foreign graduates in Malaysia and Malaysians studying abroad.
As Malaysia attracts investments in sectors like E&E, the minister stressed the importance of ensuring an adequate talent pool to meet investors’ needs. For instance, companies like AT&S in Kulim, Kedah, required 6,000 engineers, and Intel previously needed 5,000 engineers.
Tengku Zafrul also emphasised the significance of luring back Malaysian workers and students currently abroad.
He stated the need for competitive pay scales and opportunities, particularly in sectors like artificial intelligence (AI), to encourage Malaysians abroad to return and contribute to the local workforce.
MITI plans to collaborate with the Ministry of Human Resources (MOHR) and the Higher Education Ministry, forming a committee to address the talent shortage issue, and has engaged with the national TVET council in this effort.
