Govt should be blamed for rising unemployment — PKR

MIRI: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) is blaming the government for the rising unemployment among graduates, which forces them to become Uber drivers and ‘nasi lemak’ sellers.

Miri MP and PKR Miri chief Dr Michael Teo said more young graduates are jobless and owing the government National Higher Education Fund Corporation ( PTPTN) loans which they cannot afford to pay.

“It is the government’s responsibility to create an economy conducive to all, like the creation of jobs,” Dr Teo told a press conference here yesterday.

He said graduates should have options available for them in line with their level of education and the course that they took.

Without options, he added, this would force their graduates to become drivers and sellers of nasi lemak, ‘which is not something to be proud of if you have university degrees or diplomas’.

Dr Teo was responding to the statement made by Minister of Youth and Sports Khairy Jamaluddin who said there was nothing wrong with graduates selling nasi lemak or driving Uber or Grab cars.

On this, Dr Teo said Khairy missed the whole point. When people raised the Uber-nasi lemak issue, they are raising issues concerning the creation of high-income and high-quality job opportunities, he said.

Dr Teo said Pakatan Harapan would lower the cost of living if it came into power after the next general election.

He also said the government should abolish the Goods and Services Tax (GST) by stages so that the people would not have to be burdened by paying the government additional taxes after the income taxes. He also said the government should give more choices of studies for the graduates, including taking up English language as an international communications tool.