Malaysian Employers Federation welcomes new English policy

A new policy which requires university students in Malaysia to pass English in order to graduate has been welcomed by the Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF).

Earlier this week, Deputy Prime Minister Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said more details would be announced soon on the policy, which aims to boost graduates' limited knowledge of English - something he said is currently "not enough" to help them gain employment.

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MEF's executive director Datuk Shamsuddin Bardan said many employers struggle to find talent with excellent oral and written English skills, The Star reported.

“This policy is very much welcomed as English proficiency is one of the things we emphasise. This way, money won’t be spent on students after their graduation to give them this soft skill," he said.

“The Government spends a lot of money on students after graduation which could be counted as wasted resources."

Shamsuddin also said the currently employability figures for fresh graduates stands at around 70%, and this policy could help plug the gap for the remaining 30%.