All higher education programmes in Malaysia should incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) and data literacy into their curricula to ensure graduates remain competitive in an increasingly technology-driven job market.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir said AI should no longer be viewed as relevant only to technical fields, stressing that it must also be incorporated into humanities and social science programmes.
“We need to embed AI into the overall curriculum of every subject taught, including the social sciences.
“Previously, we may have assumed that AI was only for technical disciplines, but that is no longer the case. Everyone now requires digital and data literacy,” he said when launching the Graduate Employability Strategic Plan 2026–2030 here today.
Zambry said the strategic plan was designed to remain flexible and responsive to changing industry needs, while addressing unemployment and underemployment through regular reviews and stackable upskilling programmes.
He said the Higher Education Ministry was working with the Economy Ministry, Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry and Human Resources Ministry to conduct annual assessments of industry requirements across degree, diploma and certificate levels.
“For instance, while Malaysia is frequently cited as facing a shortage of nearly 60,000 engineers in the electrical and electronics sector, deeper analysis shows these demands also encompass technical roles at diploma and certificate levels, not just degree holders,” he said.
Citing a World Economic Forum report, Zambry said an estimated 170 million new jobs could be created globally by 2030, while about 92 million traditional roles could be displaced, resulting in a net increase of 78 million jobs.
Among the emerging occupations expected to see strong demand are AI and machine learning specialists, big data specialists, fintech engineers, software and application developers, information security analysts, renewable energy engineers, and autonomous and electric vehicle specialists.
Zambry also highlighted the importance of upskilling in addressing the wage gap among graduates.
Malaysia’s graduate workforce reached 5.98 million in 2024, while the graduate unemployment rate fell to 3.2%. However, significant differences remained between salaries across various skill levels.
The overall median monthly salary for graduates increased to RM4,521 in 2024, with those in high-skilled positions earning a median of RM5,723.
In comparison, graduates working in semi-skilled roles recorded a median monthly salary of RM2,550, while those in low-skilled positions earned RM1,990.
Zambry said outdated university curricula remained one of the key challenges facing graduate employability, as academic programmes often struggle to keep pace with rapid changes in industry.
“Our third challenge is that our curricula move slower than industry changes.
“I urge educators to think ahead, be creative and embrace disruption. Being disruptive is not negative; it means challenging our status quo and ensuring our relevance today,” he said.
