Wednesday May 2, 2012
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia has an invaluable workforce of quality and is considered to have the most hireable workers in the region, said MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.
In his Workers Day message, Dr Chua said the party thanked the Malaysian workforce for their contribution, adding they had helped propel the country to greater heights.
“The wide usage of English among Malaysians also makes our country a clearer choice compared to our Asean neighbours.
“While other countries can beat us in labour cost and manpower strength, it is the quality of our workforce which places us on a higher pedestal because of our competitive edge,” he said in his message yesterday.
Dr Chua noted that more Malaysians were coming back home to serve the country, adding that the initiative by Talent Corporation under its Returning Experts Programme (REP) had received good response.
“The backbone of any nation is always centred on its workforce,” he said, adding that 680 applictions were approved under the REP last year, compared to 313 in 2010.
Dr Chua added that it was important to continue to remain a competitive nation as well as preserve economic and political stability to ensure continued investment and development.
“The people should be wary of the seeds of hatred and distrust sowed by certain groups which want to see a failed government to gain inroads.
“Instead, the people should base their judgment on actual result-driven initiatives, with a proven economic model to develop the socio-economic sector of the nation.
“We need a government that addresses the underlying economic structural issues and already the high-income nation agenda is on track to uplift the living standards of the people,” he said.
The Economic Transformation Programme, he added, had helped Malaysia achieve a gross national income of RM228.55bil and committed investments worth RM171.21bil since October last year with 389,263 potential new jobs.
“A big thank you again to the people of Malaysia for their big role in the country's achievements,” said Dr Chua.