GEORGE TOWN, Jan 22 — The government has introduced the Veteran MyWIRA programme to facilitate post-retirement career paths and skill enhancement for veterans of the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) and as part of this initiative, 500 job matching opportunities will be provided this year.

The Veteran MyWIRA initiative marks the first collaboration between the Ministry of Human Resources, through Talent Corporation Malaysia Berhad (TalentCorp) and the Ministry of Defence, facilitated by the Armed Forces Ex-Servicemen Affairs Corporation (Perhebat).

Minister of Human Resources, Steven Sim Chee Keong, said the initiative is geared towards enhancing socio-economic well-being and as part of this groundbreaking project, 500 high-quality job opportunities with competitive salaries would be offered.

He said the Veteran MyWIRA initiative aligns with the principles of meaningful employment within the Madani economic framework and is grounded in three fundamental pillars: strengthening employee welfare, enhancing skills and boosting workforce productivity.

"As part of this pioneering initiative, Micron Memory Malaysia Sdn Bhd (Micron), a prominent semiconductor ecosystem company, has joined as an industry partner and they will provide 25 well-suited job opportunities tailored for ATM veterans, with salaries ranging from RM2,900 to RM4,200, depending on the nature of the job.

"The initiative has expansion potential, with a target of 5,000 job matches in two years, collaborating with additional industry partners to offer quality opportunities across various fields for ATM veterans,” he told reporters after launching the Veteran MyWIRA Initiative with Deputy Defence Minister Adly Zahar at the Spice Arena Convention Centre near here today.

Sim said the programme comprises three main components: the execution of a strategy for constructing background information for job applicants using the MyNext system by Talent Corp. This system functions as a smart database, facilitating not only the matching of workers with suitable employers but also the design of training plans and more.

The second component is the training aspect facilitated by Perhebat and with the MyNext system in operation, stakeholders have the flexibility to make adjustments and customise job transition programmes tailored for veterans.

"The third component is the industry collaboration, where Talent Corp will partner with employers to align retrained military retirees with quality job opportunities within their companies,” he said.

Meanwhile, Adly said based on Perhebat data, between 3,000 to 5,000 military personnel have been identified as lacking permanent employment upon leaving ATM service.

"In our monitoring, we identified a total of 24,000 retirees. We have successfully contacted 19,000 former members and among them, about 3,000 to 5,000 individuals are currently unemployed.

"Their average age ranges from 32 to 40 years old and the majority retired under non-pension schemes,” he added. — Bernama