Govt committed to form TVET commission – PM

MELAKA – The government is mulling over the proposal to establish a Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Commission in line with the TVET reform agenda that is being actively implemented.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said this was because the development of TVET under the National TVET Council chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has shown encouraging results, including an increase in the number of students.

“I appreciate the role of the TVET Council, but as those closely monitoring the sector’s development, we must consider proposals such as establishing a dedicated commission for TVET, and we will assess this as swiftly as possible in response to the sector’s evolving needs.

“With the number of students and types of training increasing, I, together with the Ministry of Finance, will look into whether current facilities are adequate and how to create synergy between government-linked companies, private sector players, and existing TVET institutions.”

Anwar said this when opening the National TVET Day 2025 celebration at the Melaka International Trade Centre (MITC), Ayer Keroh on Thursday.

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In his speech, Anwar also emphasised the importance of TVET in producing a skilled and quality workforce that meets future industry needs.

Hence, he said he believed that TVET graduates deserve a better starting salary, reflecting their skills and strong employability.

“Previously, we set the minimum wage at RM1,700. But if a group like TVET graduates achieves up to 98 per cent employability, RM1,700 is not enough. For TVET graduates, if possible, we want to raise the starting salary to as much as RM3,000,” he said.

Anwar also highlighted that this adjustment is vital to ensure the expertise of TVET graduates is valued and accepted by multinational and local companies alike.

During the event, he also announced an additional allocation of RM40 million for the National TVET Council and RM10 million for Melaka to focus on TVET entrepreneurship development.

Present at the event were Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir, and Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek.

The National TVET Day 2025 celebration, themed TVET: Pilihan Utama Kerjaya, featured nine exhibition sectors – Transportation and Automotive; Aerospace; Electronics and Digital; Advanced Manufacturing; Energy; Rail and Maritime; Plantation, Agriculture, and Livestock; Construction; and Services.

The three-day celebration, which began yesterday, offered about 5,000 job opportunities across various fields from over 60 companies and employers from within and outside Melaka.

A total of 12 ministries were involved in organising the event, including the Ministry of Higher Education, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Rural Development, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Ministry of Human Resources, and the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI).