The Malaysian Insight

PAKATAN Harapan (PH) Youth will make job opportunities and affordable housing a priority in its manifesto for the upcoming 14th general election.

These include creating a million semi-skilled and skilled jobs, and a million affordable houses if the opposition coalition takes over Putrajaya.

Amanah Youth deputy chief Faiz Fadzil said jobs can be created in the 3D (dirty, difficult, dangerous) sector merely by raising the minimum wage from RM1,000 to RM1,500.

Faiz also dismissed Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s assertion that youths are uninterested in 3D jobs, which caused employers to hire foreign labour to fill such positions.

“We will create skilled and semi-skilled jobs for graduates who qualify.

“We will also raise labour wages so interested locals will take up 3D jobs. Zahid said Malaysians were not interested in 3D jobs. I think that statement is unfounded,” he told a press conference at Amanah headquarters in Kuala Lumpur today.

He said the RM500 raise would be jointly funded by the government and employers using a fair cost-sharing mechanism, and the plan would be implemented within the first five years of a PH administration.

PH Youth also aimed to provide a million affordable homes by 2020 and to establish a body to be in charge of providing affordable homes.

A “housing x-change” mechanism would also be set up to ensure that affordable homes go only to those who need it to curb property speculation, which includes setting a national ceiling price for affordable homes at between RM250,000 and RM300,000, depending on location.

PKR Youth chief Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad pointed out that foreign labour issues have yet to be resolved despite several legalisation measures simply because Malaysia followed a low-pay economic model.

Nik Nazmi, who is Selangor executive councillor for education, human capital, science, technology and innovation, said this model is used by many countries, but the minimum wage here has not been increased.

“We’re addicted (to the economic model). So when the people cannot live with the low pay, we hire foreign workers,” Nik Nazmi said.

Using the PKR-led Selangor government as an example, he said PH Youth would focus on providing vocational training as an alternative and would not rely on the low-pay economic model which encouraged hiring foreign labour. – July 25, 2017.