Malaysia must upskill 1,000 Indian youth to combat dropout rates

Charles Santiago, a former member of parliament, has urged the Malaysian government to invest in skills development initiatives for Indian youth as part of next year's federal budget allocation. According to Santiago, the programme should aim to train approximately 1,000 young people from the Indian community through technical and vocational education and training (TVET) schemes and other capacity-building programmes. The proposal comes against a backdrop of persistent educational challenges facing Indian students in Malaysia, with dropout rates remaining a significant concern among policymakers and community leaders. Santiago's call highlights the need for targeted interventions to address systemic barriers to educational attainment and economic opportunity within the Indian Malaysian community. The former legislator's recommendations suggest that strategic government funding could help bridge skills gaps, improve employment prospects, and ultimately reduce the number of Indian youth leaving school prematurely.