The Prime Minister said vocational training would be a focus through both the public and private sector. He said Malaysia could no longer able to continue competing with cheap labour alone and, if it continued, the country would remain as a developing or third world country.
"At present skilled workers (in the country) numbered only 25.3% while 61.8% are those moderately skilled and the rest are lowly skilled. As such in the 11MP, which I will table next month, we want to focus on productivity led growth," he said at the national level 2015 Labour Day celebration at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) on 1 May, which was attended by some 10,000 people. It was the first time the Labour Day celebration was held outside the peninsula.
Najib said workers' pay as a component of the gross domestic product (GDP) is currently around 30% compared to 28% in previous years. He hopes to see the percentage raised to 40% as is enjoyed by developed countries.
