JOHOR BAHRU - Johor is set to become the first Malaysian state to offer a starting salary of RM4,000 (S$1,200) for diploma holders and RM5,000 for those with degrees in specific sectors related to the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), said Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi.

       He said the newly launched Johor Talent Development Council (JTDC) would play a significant part in realising the state’s vision of offering such premium starting salaries for youth in the state.

       “This could also ensure that the 100,000 quality job opportunities expected to be created under the JS-SEZ will be taken up.

       “At the moment, about 74,000 such jobs have been made available and only some 52,000 have been filled.

       “This shows that the people want high-paying and quality jobs,” Datuk Seri Zahid said in his speech before launching the JTDC at Persada Johor International Convention Centre on Nov 3. He added that Johor faces competition from its neighbour Singapore in hiring a skilled and quality workforce due to the currency conversion rate between the salaries offered.

       He cited an example of a local company offering a minimum wage of RM1,700 compared with S$1,500 offered by a Singaporean company, which is close to RM5,000 after conversion.

       Dr Zahid said Johor is the first state to offer premium starting salaries for diploma and degree holders in order to attract workers. He also instructed the Human Resources Development Corp to channel RM20 million to JTDC within a month to aid its efforts to train and discover skilled talent to join the workforce.

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       Earlier, Johor Chief Minister Onn Hafiz Ghazi, in his opening address, highlighted the challenges faced by companies in Johor when hiring skilled talent.

       “I believe Johor is the first state to launch a talent development council. One of the pilot initiatives we are working on is to collaborate with data centres to offer diploma holders a starting salary of RM4,000 and RM5,000 for degree holders.

       “We hope to offer high-value jobs for the major sectors under the JS-SEZ,” he added.

       Datuk Onn Hafiz also said that one of JTDC’s objectives was to work with higher-education institutions in Johor to ensure that the courses they offered were focused on industry demand.

       The council was also tasked with developing an ecosystem that provides training, education and careers to create world-class, highly skilled talent, he said.

       THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK