Malaysia needs 100,000 more engineers – Nanta

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is currently facing a shortage of approximately 100,000 engineers to meet the country’s development needs, said Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi. He said the current number of registered engineers has yet to achieve the ideal ratio of one engineer for every 100 Malaysians. “At present, we have only 200,000 registered engineers, and we still need about 100,000 more to meet demand,” he said after officiating the 2025 National Engineering Convention (NEC 2025) here today. Nanta highlighted that efforts to address this shortage are already underway, particularly through the enhancement of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes. “I welcome the announcement by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to expand TVET programmes, with a target of 60,000 participants. We are confident this initiative will help us meet the 100,000 engineer target soon,“ he added. He also stressed the importance of retaining engineering graduates within the field, noting the challenge of attracting them to other sectors due to higher starting salaries. “We do not want engineering graduates to switch careers. The government is…