GE15: Tackling rising living costs, unemployment high on S’wak graduates’ wish list

People walking with face masks on along the Kuching Waterfront. – Photo by Roystein Emmor

THE younger generation wants the new government to tackle the rising cost of living and unemployment, while also providing quality education and more funding for research and development.

Masters student Sharifah Nur Faizah, 25, views the country’s inflation, especially in relation to the price of food, coupled with the weakening of the ringgit and lack of human capital in the workforce, as being at a worrying level.

Sharifah Nur Faizah

“We need new faces and an energetic leader to be the next prime minister in order to restart the economy. Many new graduates can’t get placement in the job market. The new government needs to be alert,” she said.

For post-graduate student Nurul Fathira Anisa Jimali, 25, she believes that setting a higher minimum wage and reducing the cost of living should be the new government’s priority.

“I think the minimum wage that we have right now is hardly enough for the people to survive with the increasing price of goods.

“Maybe the minimum wage level has to be revised, taking into account the remaining balance after deductions for Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and Social Security Organisation (Socso) contributions.

“I have heard from some people that despite earning the minimum wage of RM1,200, they would be left with roughly RM900 after all the deductions,” she said.

Nurul Fathira Anisa Jimali

In terms of education, Nurul Fathira said the new government should improve school facilities especially those in rural areas, so that nobody would be left behind.

“Not to say that we need more 5G towers in the rural areas, but maybe we can start by making sure that these schools would never have to worry about having no electricity.

“I generally think that if the electricity problem could be solved, other things such as internet (connectivity) could also be improved concurrently,” she added.

“The government should invest more in the R&D sector. Why import such expensive technologies from outside all the time, instead of empowering the local researchers in Malaysia?

“This would also somehow reduce the unemployment rate of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) graduates in Malaysia.”

At the same time, Nurul Fathira expressed hope that the government would consider upgrading government hospitals and clinics to make healthcare more accessible to people from all walks of life.

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