Govt asked to address educational and skills disparity issues in Sabah workforce
KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah state government has been commended for allocating substantial budgets towards education, scholarships and bursaries through institutions like Yayasan Sabah and the Sabah State Fund.
Moyog assemblyman Datuk Darell Leiking and his assistant Yong Tain Vui said these initiatives signify a commitment to investing in the future of our people and fostering opportunities for further studies.
However, they said it is imperative to acknowledge and address the significant educational and skills disparity issues prevailing within the Sabah workforce.
“Despite the investments made, disparities persist, posing challenges to the holistic development and competitiveness of our workforce.
“The existing gaps in education and skills attainment not only hinder individual growth but also impede the overall socioeconomic progress of our state. It is essential to recognize that a skilled and educated workforce is the cornerstone of sustainable development and economic prosperity,” Darell and Yong pointed out in a statement on Friday.
Darell urged the Sabah state government to take immediate and substantive measures to address the deficiencies within the education system, as evidenced by the 2022 Labour Force Survey Report.
He pointed out that out of the 1,856,500 employees in Sabah, a mere 20.6 per cent have received post-secondary education.
“Alarmingly, 45.5 per cent have attended only secondary school, 23.4 per cent have received primary school education, and a troubling 10.5 per cent have had no formal education at all,” he said.
Darell also called on the state government to devise a comprehensive strategy aimed at rectifying the educational challenges faced by working Sabahans.
“It is recommended that substantial investments be made in skills development initiatives and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes, essential in empowering our Sabahans to assimilate modern and advanced technologies, thereby narrowing the prevailing educational gap,” he said.
Given that Sabah is considered the poorest state in Malaysia, he said investing in upskill among local workforce becomes an essential priority.
“The evolving demands of the labor market, particularly in relation to foreign investment, underscore the urgent need for Sabahans to be equipped with skills that enable them to compete effectively and work within multinational corporations.
“The present inadequacies within the education system handicap this potential,” he said.
Yong said the stark contrast in educational attainment between urban and rural areas perpetuates a concerning trend: graduates predominantly secure employment in urban settings, while rural Sabahans, constrained by lower educational qualifications, are limited to lower-skilled jobs.
This disparity exacerbates income inequality, posing a significant threat to Sabah’s overall economic growth trajectory.
Yong said among the contributing factors to the high unemployment rates in Sabah, educational attainment stands as a prominent issue. Of the total 151,500 unemployed individuals in Sabah, a staggering 78.4 per cent are Sabahans with little to no formal education, confined to primary and secondary schooling.
He said it is imperative that the current GRS-led government takes proactive steps to enhance the education system, especially for future generations.
“In past administrations, such as during the Warisan-led PH plus governance between 2018 and 2020, the establishment of the state-level Education and Innovation Ministry under then-Chief Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal exemplified a shift towards decentralisation from the Federal Government.
“Similarly, post-2021 state elections, Sarawak mirrored Sabah’s approach by rebranding the Cabinet and establishing the Ministry of Education Innovation and Talent Development,” he said.