Malaysia needs to strengthen its partnership with China in future industries such as advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, electric vehicles (EVs), semiconductors and digital technology to drive the country’s economic progress, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Anwar said China’s capabilities in these sectors should be leveraged to help Malaysia keep pace with global technological developments while strengthening the competitiveness of local industries.
He said Malaysia is targeting RM500 billion in semiconductor investments and plans to train and upskill 60,000 highly skilled Malaysian engineers by 2030 under the National Semiconductor Strategy (NSS).
To support these ambitions, Malaysia also wants to deepen technical and vocational education and training (TVET) cooperation with China, including greater exchanges between students and instructors, joint training programmes, stronger institutional links and wider sharing of technology and expertise.
“The Malaysia-China Youth TVET Training Initiative has demonstrated what can be achieved through cooperation between our institutions. I believe TVET can become one of the pillars of a broader relationship between Malaysia and China,” he said.
Anwar was speaking at the Opening Plenary Session of WorldSkills Shanghai 2026. Chinese Premier Li Qiang officiated the three-day conference at the National Exhibition and Convention Centre (NECC).
Anwar said Malaysia had positioned TVET as a key pillar of its industrial policy and an important instrument for economic transformation by developing a highly skilled workforce capable of earning better incomes.
He said the strategy would support Malaysia’s shift towards a high-growth, high-value economy, particularly as the country expands into areas such as chip design, AI, green technology and agri-food.
Under the TVET 2.0 reform, Malaysia is also seeking to strengthen collaboration between industry players and training institutions while increasing exposure to emerging fields including semiconductors, AI and renewable energy.
Anwar said the national TVET agenda is coordinated by the National TVET Council, involving about 1,400 institutions across 12 ministries, state governments and private training providers under the National TVET Policy 2030.
He stressed that industry must play a bigger role in shaping the country’s future workforce as companies understand the equipment they use and how quickly their requirements are changing.
“Modern economies cannot function without the technical workforce that keeps semiconductor production lines operating or electric vehicle factories running on schedule,” he said.
While machinery and software may become increasingly advanced, Anwar said skilled workers would still be needed to understand how the technology works and what to do when problems arise.
He added that young people would be more likely to pursue technical careers if they could see clear pathways towards skilled employment and good incomes.
“Our task is to ensure that it leads to worthwhile careers, towards skilled jobs and good incomes,” he said.
Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, also congratulated WorldSkills International for 75 years of recognising and promoting skilled work.
Malaysia has participated in the competition since 1995 and remains committed to its mission, he said.
This year, Malaysia sent 22 young competitors to Shanghai to compete across 21 skills categories, with the country continuing to promote technical excellence both domestically and across the region.
