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

He said the new Johor Talent Development Council (JTDC) would play an important role in realizing the state’s vision of providing such high starting salaries for the state’s youth.

“This could also ensure that the 100,000 quality employment opportunities expected to be created under the JS-SEZ are tapped.

“At present, around 74,000 such jobs have been created and only around 52,000 have been filled.

“This shows that people want good-paying, quality jobs,” he said in his speech before launching the JTDC at the Persada Johor International Convention Center on November 3.

Datuk Seri Zahid said Johor faces competition from its neighbor Singapore in terms of hiring a qualified and quality workforce thanks to the currency conversion rate between the salaries offered.

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

He said Johor is the first state to offer higher starting salaries to diploma and diploma holders in order to attract workers.

He also asked the Human Resource Development Corporation to commit RM20 million to the JTDC within a month to assist in its efforts to train and uncover qualified talents to join the job market.

Earlier, Johor Chief Minister Onn Hafiz Ghazi, in his opening speech, highlighted the challenges faced by businesses in Johor when recruiting qualified talent.

“I think 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 centers to offer a starting salary of RM4,000 for diploma holders and RM5,000 for diploma holders.

“We hope to provide high value-added employment to key sectors under the JS-SEZ,” he added.

Datuk Onn Hafiz also said one of the objectives of the JTDC was to work with tertiary institutions in Johor to ensure that the courses they offered were geared towards industry demand.

The council was also tasked with developing an ecosystem offering training, education and careers to create highly skilled, world-class talent, he said. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK