KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 14 — The Investment, Trade, and Industry Ministry (Miti) is intensifying efforts to drive systematic reindustrialisation in support of Malaysia’s goal of becoming a high-income nation, said its minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz.
Policies like the New Industrial Master Plan (NIMP) 2030 and the National Semiconductor Strategy (NSS) not only chart the course for reindustrialisation but also actively encourage industries to embrace high technology and digitalisation.
“We want to ensure that a ‘Made in Malaysia’ stamp becomes a mark of quality and innovation. This, in turn, will create the high-value jobs of the future,” he said in his keynote address at the Youth Empowerment Fair, “Empowering Youth in the Digital Workforce” event.
Tengku Zafrul said Miti is committed to enabling youth careers to thrive in the new high-tech environment through three core pillars: industrial development, investment promotion, and international trade.
He noted that one of the NSS’s missions is to train 60,000 highly skilled engineers for the semiconductor industry.
“We want to establish Malaysia as a generative artificial intelligence (AI) hub by 2030. To position the country as a creator and innovator in the AI space, we aim to integrate this powerful technology across the entire economy,” Tengku Zafrul said.
As such, clear career opportunities for young people are being co-created by Miti and its agencies.
For example, the Malaysia Automotive Robotics and Internet of Things Institute (MARii) is establishing dedicated digital hubs to develop expertise in data analytics, robotics and AI, particularly for the future of the automotive and mobility sectors.
Meanwhile, the Engineering Talent for Semiconductor Industry programme, jointly led by Collaborative Research in Engineering, Science, and Technology (CREST) and the Human Resource Development Corporation (HRD Corp), provides structured internships and targeted training to produce the engineers needed by Malaysia’s high-tech, high-value industries.
“These initiatives ensure that industrial growth is supported by a robust talent pipeline. This is where Malaysian youths and graduates in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) can take up high-value, high-paying roles in the industry,” he said.
On international trade, Tengku Zafrul noted that Miti is working to create a dynamic and competitive trading environment to support youth careers by promoting exports to international markets and pushing industries to adopt the highest global standards and the latest technologies.
“Policymakers like Miti have been laying the foundations and providing opportunities; they are yours for the taking.
“And we fervently hope you will apply your talent, energy, and ambition to these opportunities, to help shape a more progressive future for Malaysia,” he said.
