Very soon, you and I, we will see many more jobless graduates walking on the streets in Malaysia. As it is, it is already difficult to find employment in the private sectors or placements for learning in the government public services, today.

This is a serious matter and scenario that urgently needs to be addressed by the different ministries in governance, before it worsen to a state beyond help.

Let’s backtrack to the 60s, during this period India was having difficulties to provide jobs for graduates in medicine and that was when many doctors had to walk on the streets with his/her medical kit to offer their services to anyone who fell sick in their own homes.

Apparently, the people only needed to call the nearest doctor on the street at that time, to come into the house to see the patient. Also, the patient didn’t need to go to the clinic but could buy the prescribed medicine from the pharmacy.

Surprisingly after 56 years one can still see ten of thousands unemployed youths, including thousands more new doctors who are looking for jobs in Malaysia.

It was reported in the print media and newspapers that students who have recently graduated in dentistry, pharmacology and in medicine (that we know of) have been told by the government that there is no more placements for them to continue learning on the job.

And, so meanwhile they have to wait to be called by the different ministries for registration/placement in six months time or a year or maybe longer. In fact, there are a few new graduates who have allegedly taken menial jobs to go on with life, while waiting till the cows come home.

On Feb 20, 2016, a local English online newspaper report said that there are 350,000 Indian Malaysian youths having difficulties getting jobs because they do not have the required qualifications.

Some of these youths have only passed Form 3 or SPM. You see previously (a few years back), those who have SPM could still find jobs but and unfortunately not any more nowadays because employers found it cheaper to hire foreigners

By the way, the above figures exclude the thousands of unemployed new medical graduates in the country, who are in dire need for placements to let them continue to learn on the job in public hospitals for two years.

Thereafter, at the end of the two-year term, the doctor can either work privately or stay on working in public hospitals.

Now this unemployment and job placement problems really boils down to the shortages of local and foreign employers in the country and, also inevitably, there is now an oversupply of new graduates.

Yes, both hands are full; one for shortages of employers and the other hand for over supply of new and old graduates. That is why the unemployment rate increases every year.

Widening the unemployment gap wider

This is simply because the local and overseas universities continue to churn out thousands more new graduates at the end of the year. This actually widens the unemployment gap wider.

If this continues the unemployment rate will skyrocket. This is bad for the country.

Well, the government should allocate more money in the budget to provide jobs for all new graduates and also for those people without the required qualifications so that they are not left behind to fend for themselves.

The unemployed youths may probably end up as robbers and thieves or snatch-thieves - let alone with nothing better to do.

Yes! The government should relax the rules and regulations for foreign investors to invest in Malaysia and also to allow 100 percent ownerships to foreigners who set up factories, plants or businesses in the country - let alone teaching hospitals. As well, let them employ any staff or employees local or foreign based on their merits, qualifications and last but not least working experiences.

Thereafter, there will be more jobs up for grabs in the market, which is a healthy scenario for Malaysia. And this should help reduce the yearly unemployment rate in the country and is a booster for our nation’s economy.

There you go! This is an urging to the government to get started immediately to bring in more foreign investors to Malaysia before it (the employment market) becomes a slum.

LAU BING is a community activist and writer in Subang Jaya.