KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 27 — Malaysia remains the leader of the Asean green jobs agenda for the 2026-2030 period, having been entrusted to lead regional projects related to the field under the new work programme of the Asean Labour Ministers.

Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramanan said this role was established through the Asean Labour Ministers’ Work Programme 2026-2030, thus continuing the mandate given to Malaysia in driving the green jobs agenda since chairing the Asean Labour Ministers’ Meeting (ALMM) and the Senior Labour Officials Meeting (SLOM) in 2018.

“The transition to a green economy cannot be viewed solely from an environmental or investment perspective. We must ensure that the Asean workforce possesses the necessary skills to fill the new jobs that will be created.

“At the same time, this transition must be implemented fairly and inclusively so that no workers or groups in society are left behind by the ongoing economic changes,” he said in a statement yesterday. 

He said this while delivering Malaysia’s intervention at the 29th Asean Labour Ministers’ Meeting (ALMM) held at Dusit Thani Bangkok, Thailand yesterday. 

Ramanan said that two important documents regarding green jobs were successfully achieved as part of the outcomes of Malaysia’s Asean Chairmanship 2025, namely the Asean Framework and Action Plan (FAP) for a Just and Inclusive Transition to Green Jobs 2025-2030 and the Joint Statement on Actionable Plan for Green Jobs Towards a Sustainable and Inclusive Asean Workforce.

According to him, these documents provide strategic direction for Asean to manage workforce changes following the green economic transition, in addition to strengthening joint actions among member states in developing a workforce prepared to face future economic shifts.

Ramanan also highlighted Malaysia’s success in organising the Asean Green Jobs Forum (AGJF) 2025 in Putrajaya, which gathered more than 450 delegates focusing on the theme “AI, Digitalisation and Green Jobs”.

According to the minister, the forum successfully shifted regional discussions from mere policy to more concrete implementation planning.

Among the priorities identified were the joint development of an Asean green jobs and skills taxonomy that can be matched with the Asean Qualifications Reference Framework (AQRF), alongside leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) as a facilitator in training and skills development.

Also given attention was the modernisation of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) ecosystem through closer cooperation with industry, targeted environmental, social, and governance (ESG) support for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and ensuring that new job opportunities can also be utilised by women, youth, and informal sector workers.

Ramanan said these efforts are important to ensure that the green jobs agenda does not move in isolation, but instead becomes an integral part of Asean workforce development in facing technological changes, digitalisation, and industrial transformation.

In a related development, Malaysia expressed its support for the Philippines, which will host the Asean Green Jobs Forum 2026 in Manila this coming October.

Ramanan said the rotational hosting of the AGJF according to the Asean Chairmanship is a positive development as it makes the green jobs agenda a shared responsibility among member states.

Malaysia previously hosted the AGJF in 2024 and 2025.

“Malaysia is ready to cooperate closely with the Philippines to ensure that AGJF 2026 produces meaningful actions in the implementation of the Asean Framework and Action Plan 2025–2030,” he said. — Bernama