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Malaysia's new plan to prepare Bumiputera for RM20,000-salary careers

Malaysia's Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has launched a programme aimed to develop Bumiputera talent for high-earning careers where the monthly income would exceed RM20,000.

Called the Super High Income Programme (SHIP), the plan targets middle-income earners with relevant working experience, as reported in Bernama, after he chaired a meeting of the Bumiputera Education Leadership Foundation.

PM Najib said the focus would be on industries that needed skilled and professional manpower, such as financial services, business services, health, maritime and aerospace. "Such a high income can be achieved through specialised training and certification in the selected fields," he said.

Under Bank Rakyat financing, the course duration would range between three and five years. Applications for participation will open by end 2017, with the first phase expected to benefit 50 beneficiaries through a maximum financing of RM10 million in the financial services, health and technology industries.

"The following phase will start in 2018 with the introduction of more areas of expertise and industries in stages and involve 250 recipients," he added, as quoted by Bernama.

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Najib said an incentive would be given for the programme participants, with those completing the specialisation course considered for a reduction in the loan, capped at 20%.

He also cited that the Bumiputera Education Leadership Foundation was on the right track to developing Bumiputera talent through the financing of three programmes - Peneraju Tunas, Peneraju Skil and Peneraju Profesional.

He said the foundation achieved the target of developing more than 16,000 Bumiputera talent through more than 200 programmes with funding of RM435 million. He added: "This means that 40% of the target to develop 40,000 bumiputera talents by 2020 has been achieved. At the end of this year, this number will increase to 20,000 as targeted," he said.

At the meeting on Friday 18 August, PM Najib also said the rate of employment of the previous beneficiaries had risen to 90% compared to 77% in the previous year.

Photo / 123RF

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