Prioritise Malay, English equally, provide aid to be influencer, content writer, says Malay expert

SHAH ALAM - An expert has asked the government to consider giving scholarships and special courses to jobs that are on the rise since the pandemic.

Malay Language expert Zack Kirana Ibrahim said these include being an influencer, content creator and food delivery services as a choice of career among youths has changed.

"Most of them are in the mindset of not continuing their studies as many graduates are unemployed and some of them are sacked from a full-time job.

"For me, knowledge is not for us to get a good job but to acquire a set of skills.

"Food riders also need knowledge. The government should come up with special courses for them to excel in these jobs," she said to Sinar Daily.

On allocations in Budget 2023, Zack said scholarships and courses should be given to food delivery riders since they need special skills and patience to communicate with people.

Commenting further, she said the English language must be equivalent to the Malay language.

"According to Malaysian policy, we should stick to the national language but we should also look into a bigger context to improve foreign relations.

"For me, language is a communication tool. Even though we prioritise Malay, our achievement in English language should be equivalent too.

"For instance, if we study the Malay language for five hours, we also have to give in the same time to study English. There is no exception to that," she added.