SINTOK: The quality of Malaysia’s higher education remains internationally recognised and should not be linked to concerns over graduate employability.

Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) chief executive officer Professor Datuk Dr Mohammad Shatar Sabran said graduates today need to equip themselves with added value and a broader range of skills.

This, he said, was to remain competitive in an increasingly challenging job market, as strong academic results alone are no longer sufficient to secure employment.

Shatar said competition for jobs is intense, requiring graduates to develop additional competencies such as multilingual proficiency, critical thinking and the ability to adapt to technological advancements and evolving industry demands.

“A good cumulative grade point average (CGPA) may help a graduate secure an interview, but getting the job depends on the added value that the individual brings.

“Academic achievement is a basic requirement, but today’s workplace demands much more than that,” he said at the “Graduate Employability: Between Reality and Expectations” programme at Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) here today.

Shatar also dismissed claims that declining standards in Malaysia’s higher education system were responsible for graduates facing difficulties in securing employment.

He said all programmes offered by public and private higher education institutions accredited by MQA meet international standards and are developed with industry requirements in mind.

Meanwhile, UUM vice-chancellor Professor Dr Ahmad Martadha Mohamed said the university continues to strengthen its curriculum to ensure programmes remain aligned with current industry needs, including by incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) elements across various fields of study.

He said UUM regularly seeks feedback from industry players through its industry advisory council and is planning to establish an international industry advisory panel comprising representatives from multinational companies to ensure its programmes remain relevant.

Martadha added that UUM also places emphasis on professional certifications and runs the School of Hard Knocks (SoHK) programme, which provides final-year students with industry exposure to enhance their employability upon graduation.

“The programmes we offer are continuously improved to ensure UUM graduates remain competitive and are sought after by employers both nationally and internationally,” he said.