This has indirectly hindered chances of Malaysians getting jobs, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Under Budget 2022, the government announced that it would provide incentives under the Jamin Kerja Keluarga Malaysia (or JaminKerja) to employers who hire jobless Malaysians.

Under JaminKerja, the government will allocate RM4.8 billion to provide 600,000 job opportunities.

Employees will also receive an additional 10% increase in salary every month for a year.

Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) president Mohd Effendy Abdul Ghani welcomed the government’s move to prioritise locals for the available vacancies.

He told FMT the country needed to provide more jobs for Malaysians as this will help revive the nation’s economy impacted by the pandemic.

“Seize this opportunity or else the industry will have no choice but to hire foreign workers,” he said.

Finance minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz had announced several initiatives in Budget 2022 to generate and sustain jobs, including those that encourage women to return to work.

He also said that under the MySTEP programme, Malaysians will be provided training and placed in government-linked companies and their strategic partners.