SERDANG, Oct 11 — The Human Resource Minister Datuk Richard Riot urged the private sector to collaborate with the government in generating higher numbers of skilled workforce.
He said the government would not be able to shoulder the burden alone and needed the assistance of the private sector to do so in order to achieve the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP).
“The private sector could play the leading role while the government can facilitate to ensure the ETP achieves the target of becoming a high-income nation by the year 2020,” Riot (picture) said at the National Skills Carnival and Expo appreciation ceremony here today.
His speech was delivered by the ministry’s secretary-general Datuk Zainal Rahim Seman at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang.
Citing Proton as a good example for being the first to initiate and sponsor a skills contest in the automotive industry recently, he added: “I hope more private companies from other industries will come forward and do so as well.”
He also recorded his appreciation to the media which widely promoted the carnival and for the cooperation from non-governmental organisations (NGO) and other ministries, which resulted in more than 90,000 visitors to the event held from September 26 to 29.
Earlier, about 200 individuals comprised of representatives from public and private agency exhibitors, NGOs, government ministries and agencies, sponsors, contest judges and the media, including the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) were presented with appreciation plaques. — Bernama
