Creating High-Income Jobs for the Malays: A National Imperative

Malaysia’s aspiration to become a high-income nation must not leave behind its majority population, the Malays. While much has been said about equitable growth and inclusivity, the persistent income gap and limited access to high-income opportunities among the Malay population remain critical issues that require urgent and strategic government intervention.

Here are key areas the government must focus on to ensure more high-income jobs are created and made accessible to Malays:

1. Strengthen STEM and TVET Education Aligned with Industry Needs

We must move beyond slogans and seriously reform our education system. The government should prioritise:

Industry-aligned TVET programs: Collaborate with high-tech industries (aerospace, renewable energy, semiconductors, AI) to design curricula that match job market demands. STEM talent pipelines: Provide scholarships and mentorships for Malays in STEM fields, ensuring they are not just participants but future leaders in technology and innovation.

Outcome: This creates a pathway for high-skilled, high-paying technical jobs, especially for youths from rural and semi-urban Malay communities.

2. Build Malay-Owned Tech and Export-Oriented Enterprises

The government must facilitate the development of Malay Bumiputera-owned enterprises that are globally competitive. Key initiatives include:

High-tech start-up incubators focused on Malay founders. Access to venture capital and government procurement for scalable businesses in digital, green technology, and export sectors. International exposure programs to train Malay entrepreneurs in global best practices and export markets.

Outcome: This shifts the focus from low-value trading and rent-seeking to wealth creation via innovation and exports.

3. Develop Strategic Industrial Zones in Malay Heartlands

Much of the country’s industrial development has bypassed Malay-majority rural areas. The government must:

Establish special economic zones (SEZs) or digital hubs in states like Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah, and Perlis. Incentivize local and foreign firms to invest in these areas through tax breaks and ready infrastructure. Ensure local hiring quotas and training programs target Malays in these communities.

Outcome: This decentralised development and directly brings high-paying jobs to where Malays live.

4. Restructure GLCs and GLICs to Prioritise Talent Development

Government-Linked Companies and Investment Corporations must not merely be instruments of wealth preservation, but of talent cultivation. Reforms should include:

KPIs that include number of Malays trained and placed in high-income roles. Mandating succession planning for Malay leadership in technical and strategic positions. Partnerships with universities to develop talent pipelines from within the community.

Outcome: This ensures GLCs actively groom Malays into C-suite, innovation, and global management roles.

5. Recognise and Support Informal Sector Upskilling

Many Malays are self-employed, farmers, fishermen, small traders. The government must uplift these communities by:

Digitising the informal economy through platforms that connect them with high-value markets. Providing micro-automation tools, training in branding, and online commerce support. Offering tax incentives for digital adoption and skills certification.

Outcome: This transforms micro-income activities into small enterprises with growing income potential.

From Dependence to Leadership

The goal must shift from helping Malays to survive to empowering Malays to lead, as innovators, industrialists, global executives, and creators of jobs. A proactive, forward-thinking policy framework, rooted in inclusion, merit, and strategic investment, is needed to break the ceiling and usher Malays into the high-income bracket.

Let us no longer debate whether Malays can compete. The question we must answer is: Will the system prepare and support them to lead the nation’s next economic leap?