{
  "id": 13253929,
  "title": "Hari Profesional Malaysia: Mendengar sahaja tak cukup",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/hari-profesional-malaysia-mendengar-sahaja-tak-cukup",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-09T23:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/bahasa/pandangan/2026/10/10/hari-profesional-malaysia-mendengar-sahaja-tak-cukup"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Hari Profesional Malaysia, scheduled for September 29th, recognizes the contributions of the professional class to national development. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim urged professionals to play a bigger role in governance as well. He acknowledged that a minister cannot have expertise in every field and therefore needs to listen and assess professional perspectives. However, listening alone is not enough. When their expertise is relevant and can help solve a problem, the government should provide space for professionals to be directly involved. Malaysia has many experienced professionals in public service, finance, engineering, health, logistics, manufacturing, technology, law, and many other sectors. Some have spent 20 or 30 years in their respective fields and possess practical experience and institutional knowledge that is hard to acquire through short-term studies or economic reports. There are also professionals who have warned about certain risks before an issue became a major problem, including matters related to 1MDB, PKFZ, water supply, floods, and transportation planning. So the question is not just whether professionals are not being heard. We also need to ask, when they do speak, what mechanism exists to assess their views and, if appropriate, involve them in finding solutions? Malaysia is not lacking in brains. What may be lacking is a systematic mechanism to identify, assess, and utilize that expertise before a problem escalates into a crisis. If a professional has relevant experience, credibility, and expertise, the government should have the flexibility to involve them as advisors, members of technical review teams, industry staff teams, or project-based assignments. This approach also opens up space for former senior government officials, corporate executives who have retired, or retirees, as well as industry experts who may no longer seek full-time employment but can and are willing to contribute. Such expertise gained over decades in fields such as customs, ports, manufacturing, finance, health, engineering, transportation, and international trade can be utilized without the government having to create new permanent positions. The scope of professional involvement should not be limited to healthcare, education, and information technology. The country needs expertise in strategic areas such as transportation and logistics, port and airport development, economic planning, international trade, manufacturing, energy, infrastructure, and urban development. For example, designing a master plan for a new port or airport should not be based on a single viewpoint. It requires the perspective of transportation planners, engineers, logistics experts, customs professionals, and trade experts, economists, financial experts, and industry players who understand the real-world conditions on the ground. In terms of skills, this discussion should not turn into a debate about whether older professionals are more committed than Generation Z. Younger generations bring technology skills, adaptability, and new ideas, while experienced professionals bring institutional memory, practical considerations, and knowledge of how standards are implemented. Malaysia needs both. More importantly, it needs to create effective knowledge transfer between experienced professionals, the younger generation, and the civil service. Hari Profesional Malaysia can also serve as a starting point for a more organized relationship between the government and the professional community. Professionals can be encouraged to identify risks or issues that may arise in the future, while the government should have channels to assess their perspectives before involving those who are truly suitable in shaping and implementing solutions. Another dimension that needs attention is the return of expatriate Malaysians. When various initiatives are carried out to bring back Malaysian professionals, we also need to ask what happens to those who have returned. Some have returned after working abroad for years with international experience, specialized expertise, and professional networks, but may still not find meaningful space to contribute. Before inviting more Malaysians to return, the government also needs to ensure that those who have returned and are ready to serve do not remain marginalized without space to use their respective expertise. Not all of them may want a permanent job. Some may be better suited to serve as advisors, mentors, industry experts, project consultants, staff members, or technical experts. Flexible mechanisms can allow the government to use these experts as needed without adding unnecessary permanent positions. The bigger question is whether Malaysia truly utilizes its full human resources. This issue is also related to discussions about minimum wage. Minimum wage is important as a basic protection for workers, but the long-term goal should not be only to raise the minimum standard from one level to another. The government should also provide more opportunities for training, skill improvement, and career pathways so that low-paid workers can move from entry-level jobs to higher-skilled, higher-experience, and higher-responsibility jobs. When workers have a clear pathway from entry-level to skilled and professional jobs, wage increases will naturally follow increased productivity and experience.",
  "summary": "Pengiktirafan terhadap golongan profesional perlu disusuli mekanisme yang membolehkan kepakaran dan pengalaman mereka dimanfaat secara langsung dalam menyelesaikan masalah negara.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Hari Profesional Malaysia: Mendengar sahaja tak cukup",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/hari-profesional-malaysia-mendengar-sahaja-tak-cukup-13256702",
        "published": "2026-10-09T23:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}