Salaries for new graduates in Malaysia have grown slowly over the last decade, remaining stable despite changes in sector demands and economic factors.
Dr Nor Shahidah, Senior Lecturer in Geological Engineering and Soil Mechanics at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, stressed the importance of creating salary structures that are in line with professional norms. She emphasized the value of competitive wages in attracting and maintaining talent, particularly in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
“The discourse surrounding the remuneration of STEM graduates has become increasingly open, highlighting that salaries have not substantially increased from those offered to individuals starting their careers 10-20 years ago,” she went on to say.
She said that the rise of the gig economy has shifted interest away from traditional STEM fields, which provide higher pay and greater flexibility. This shift in choice creates issues for sectors that rely on STEM skills.
Rahmut Muhad Anuar, an engineer with three decades of experience, shared these concerns, lamenting the lack of pay advancement during his career. He emphasized the importance of government engagement in compelling organizations to provide more competitive remuneration packages for recent graduates.
“Most fresh graduates are assigned unrelated work outside their field, such as data entry, which does not allow them to learn or improve their skills,” he stated. “If they are not skilled enough, they cannot increase their salary.”
The shortage of trained engineers is a national concern. According to the New Straits Times, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has previously acknowledged the deficit, despite Malaysia’s high quality engineering graduates.
Megat Johari Megat Mohd Noor, President of the Malaysian Society for Engineering and Technology, believes that specialisation is the answer, explaining, “As it stands now, the industry needs engineering technologists who specialise in specific fields, but we have an abundance of engineers who are only proficient in theory.”
