Kuala lumpur: Malaysia aims to achieve a 35 per cent skilled workforce and 3.6 per cent productivity growth by 2030 as part of efforts to strengthen the nation’s competitiveness, said Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the target can be achieved through five main strategies, including strengthening industry-based training and increasing automation. Tengku Zafrul emphasized the need for enhancing industry-based training to ensure that the experience remains relevant and urged industries to invest in local trainees.

Tengku Zafrul made these comments during the winding up of the committee-stage debate on the Supply Bill (Budget) 2026 for the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) in the Dewan Rakyat. He highlighted the importance of boosting productivity by encouraging companies to adopt automation and reducing reliance on low-skilled foreign workers. Additionally, he stated the necessity of training local workers to meet the technological demands of the industry.

He further stressed the importance of close cooperation between industry, the Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC), TalentCorp, and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions. This collaboration is essential for developing local talent that can meet current industry needs, ensuring Malaysia’s competitiveness in global supply chains.