In a statement, its president Adnan Mat said allowing foreign graduates to take local high-technology sector jobs would be a step backward.

“It is unfair to allow foreign graduates to explore job opportunities that could be filled by local citizens. This is especially with the ongoing efforts to produce highly skilled graduates to meet market demand,” he added.

He also feared that such a move may result in local graduates receiving lower salaries and the unemployment rate increasing in the future.

“The country is currently on the right track in producing highly skilled local graduates and no longer needs to rely on foreign labour,” he said.

His comments come in the wake of a statement by investment, trade and industry minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz recently that Putrajaya is looking into the possibility of allowing foreign graduates here to pursue employment opportunities.

Tengku Zafrul cited the electrical and electronics sector as an example, stating that while it requires some 50,000 engineers, the country produces 5,000 engineers a year, not including foreign graduates and Malaysians studying abroad.

However, Adnan said that the main issue is the migration of skilled local workers abroad, attracted by higher salaries.

“Local employers are willing to pay foreign workers higher salaries, even though the quality of work done by local graduates is better.

“Favouritism or double standards in wages has led many Malaysians to choose to work abroad rather than serve in their own country,” he said.

Claiming some employers pay foreign skilled workers up to RM4,000 per month, but offer locals starting salaries below RM2,000, Adnan said it is pointless for the nation to produce highly skilled workers if the job market does not offer reasonable salaries.

He called for the government to analyse the data collected through the Padu central database hub to determine suitable wage rates for Malaysians in the future.