Youth hoping for increase in PTPK fund, early childhood education centers in 2025 Budget

KUALA LUMPUR: An increase in the Skill Development Fund Corporation (PTPK) and a rise in the number of government-supervised early childhood education centres are among the key expectations of the youth in the country for Budget 2025 to be tabled in Parliament this Oct 18.

Malaysian Youth Council president Mohd Izzat Afifi Abdul Hamid said the PTPK fund needs to be increased as the number of students in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and its cost are increasing.

“The government has allocated RM180 million in this year’s Budget, Hence, we hope the amount will be increased according to current needs,“ he told Bernama recently.

He said the announcement of a premium salary of between RM2,500 and RM4,000 by the National Technical and Vocational Education and Training Council (MTVET) for TVET graduates last Sept 23 is expected to boost student interest in pursuing studies in the field next year.

“During the recent Townhall of the Ministry of Human Resources (KESUMA), there was a demand to enter TVET and for skills college staff to be expanded.

“I hope that if the government agrees to increase the funds for PTPK, the facility should also be extended to the National Dual Training Scheme (SLDN,” he said.

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Mohd Izzat Afifi suggested the government increase the number of early childhood education centres such as the Taman Bimbingan Kanak-Kanak (Tabika) and preschool classes.

“The youth, especially those with families, are still struggling with low wages, the high cost of living, and relatively high private kindergarten fees. In my view, the addition of more kindergartens and preschools is essential, as the current facilities are insufficient and unable to accommodate all the students,“ he said.

Meanwhile, Prihatin Malaysia president Luqman Hakim Md Zim suggested that the government expand the scholarship assistance programme in all research fields to students of institutions of higher learning.

“The scholarship needs to cover all fields, especially research, to empower the country’s human capital and thus contribute to the development of the country’s education,“ he said.

Luqman Hakim also recommended the government provide an aid scheme for youth entrepreneurs to venture into the digital sector.

“This is a new opportunity that the government needs to look at because the digital economy contributes greatly to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). I believe, with the existence of start-up companies by youth, it will increase the number of young entrepreneurs as well as boost the sector,“ he said.

Last Oct 4, Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo announced that the digital economy is projected to contribute as much as 25.5 per cent to GDP by the end of next year.

He was reported as saying that Malaysia is on track to achieve the target, as reflected by the increase in digital investment to RM66.22 billion in the first half of this year, up from RM46.2 billion in 2023.