He said refocusing tertiary and postgraduate training towards China and Taiwan was important, given their comparable standards to Western countries and the lower costs involved.

“As a country, we are not training enough E&E graduates. Most students who receive government support still opt to study in Western countries due to historical preferences,” he told FMT.

He said that with Malaysia becoming more reliant on trade with China, sending students to study there would provide better return on investment, adding that China’s work culture and discipline should be emulated.

He said this following a visit to Taiwan, where he engaged with semiconductor industry players and gathered feedback.

Earlier this year, The Edge reported that investment, trade and industry minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz had highlighted a shortage of 50,000 E&E engineers, with local universities producing only 5,000 engineering graduates annually.

The Malaysia Semiconductor Industry Association also raised concerns last year about the shortage, stating that many electronics factories were struggling to hire new engineers.

Sng also suggested that the education ministry send teachers to train in Taiwan or China, again due to the high standards in both countries.

He said the teachers could benefit from the work culture and discipline, which would enhance teaching and learning processes.

“Training in Taiwan or China is three to four times cheaper than in the UK, Australia, or New Zealand, while maintaining comparable or superior standards,” he was quoted as saying by the Borneo Post.