Lately, an entrepreneurship field has become an important opportunity in our country. Although New Economic Policy (NEP) 1970-1990 has passed with objectives of abolishing poverty and restructure of society, unfortunately the result still has not been achieved. Both objectives, indirectly with the purpose of increasing bumiputera status whether in village or city. Bumiputera equity has achieved only 22% in 1990 (objective 30%). That includes equity holds by government agencies such as MARA, Tabung Haji, PNB, Lembaga Tabung Tentera, UDA, Perbadanan Kerajaan Negeri and so on. Bumiputera individual equity is less than 5%.
Although New Development Policy (NDP) started in 1990-2020, until now Bumiputera is still lacking behind. In 2004, it has not differs with the year 1999 because financial crisis in 1997-1998 had turned Bumiputera companies bankrupts, including big companies that were listed in the Main and Second Board in BSKL. Subsidiary companies of Government Agencies like SEDC e.g. Johore Corporation also is no exception from the downturn of share values. Index BSKL had fallen to 400 point. Value of Ringgit Malaysia (RM) also has gone down compared with American Dollar.
Nowadays, everybody talks about unemployed graduates. From 80,000 unemployed graduates in IPTA/IPTS majority of them are Bumiputera/Malay students. It is also disappointing issue. Who is to be blamed? There are many theories that come out, some say Malay students are choosy about jobs, lack of English skill, lack of Information Technology skills, poor in communication, presentation during interviews are not enough convincing as compared to other non-bumiputera students and so on probably some of the assumptions are true. But will these problems continue? These issues had occurred in 1985-1987 and 1997-1998 and now 2005 it happens again. Many programs that the government had implemented such as Graduate Scheme Training, Graduate Entrepreneurship Course and Graduate Special Scheme for temporary staff with allowance and so on. Some programs had succeeded in minimizing the number of unemployment but unfortunately some has failed.
According to the above scenario, can we make an assumptions or evaluate that our syllabus in IPTA/IPTS is unable to provide employment to the graduates. Private sector especially will need a trained, well-equipped, knowledgeable, person with credibility and good communicator both languages in English and Malay. Team work is another important skill for gradutes to have.
The government and private sector must co-operate together to solve these problems and the challenge ahead. For example with an oil price in international market have reached US$135- US$140/barrel, it will cause economic crisis in our country. When this happens, of course unemployment rate will increase too.
Restoran Ani Sup Utara Tempahan Katering
