Press statement by MP for Ipoh Barat, M. Kula Segaran on 22 March 2021:

I refer to Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed’s statement that the country’s unemployment rate is expected to be more stable by the middle of the year. He goes on to say “it is hoped that the situation will improve”.

As a sitting Minister, I find that it is utterly irresponsible. It is no point to tell the media that you hope for something when you are now in a position to make things happen.

Please Mr Minister, leave the hoping to the average Malaysian, who some of us are at our wits’ end when it comes to our economy and job creation. As a Minister, you provided no solution to how the unemployment was going to improve, just your hope.

What basis did you make the conclusion that the situation will stabilise?

Let me provide basis in which I conclude the Perikatan Nasional government has failed.

According to DOSM, In January 2021, the youth unemployment rate for aged 15 to 24 years continued to increase by 0.3 percentage points to 13.5 per cent month-on-month. Similarly, the youth unemployment rate for aged 15 to 30 years went up by 0.5 percentage points to 9.2 per cent as compared to December 2020: 8.7%.

Mr Minister, according to DOSM unemployment is still growing. As per January 2012, there is a slight increase in unemployment at 4.9% or 782,500 Malaysians.

To make matters worse, the incompetence of the Perikatan Nasional government has cause Malaysia to fall behind in regional competition for FDIs.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) in Malaysia fell 56% to US$3.4 billion in 2020. Until today there has been no concrete plan to overcome this, so how will new jobs be created?

Perhaps Mustapa Mohamed should do less hoping and instead formulate better policies to create new jobs to boost employment, until then, Malaysians will be cautious with their expectations.

M. Kula Segaran
MP for Ipoh Barat
DAP National Vice-Chairman
Former Human Resources Minister