00:00Billions in new investments. Thousands of potential jobs.
00:04But for the ordinary folk in Melaka, the real question is much simpler.
00:08Will these opportunities lead to better pay and a better life?
00:12For 33-year-old technician Nazrul Johari who moved from Negeri Sembilan,
00:17a job at Texas Instruments in Melaka has helped him provide more for his family.
00:21With this experience, I can help my family.
00:25Because of my family or small family.
00:29Texas Instruments opened its second assembly and test factory in Melaka last November
00:34with potential investments of up to RM5 billion and 500 local jobs when fully operational.
00:41And that is part of a bigger picture.
00:43Between 2023 and 2025, Melaka attracted nearly RM29 billion in approved investments
00:50across 752 projects with the potential to create 25,100 jobs.
00:56In 2025 alone, investment approvals surged nearly 78% to RM14.69 billion,
01:04the highest in 22 years.
01:05But that alone is no guarantee of jobs on the ground.
01:09Approved investments do not actually automatically translate into employment
01:13because projects must first move into implementation, construction and actual production.
01:19more opportunities are taking shape.
01:21EP Manufacturing is developing a RM200 million automated vehicle body painting facility in Alor Gaja,
01:28expected to create more than 200 jobs when operations begin in 2027.
01:33But the more sophisticated factories become, the more skilled the workforce must be.
01:38So how can Melaka ensure local workers are ready for these opportunities?
01:42And that is where the federal government has stepped in.
01:45In 2026, it allocated RM5.6 million to the Advanced Technology Training Centre Melaka,
01:52better known as AdTech Melaka, for electric vehicle training equipment.
01:56It also pledged a similar sum to University Technical Malaysia Melaka, or UTEM,
02:01for academic equipment in renewable energy, artificial intelligence and advanced materials.
02:06Budget 2027 also highlighted the Melaka Centre of Excellence alongside RM8 billion for technical and vocational education and training nationwide.
02:17Lai emphasised the need to continually upskill workers.
02:20If skilled development fails to keep pace with investment, then the companies may recruit skilled workers from elsewhere.
02:28So living workers with lower skilled, lower paid jobs.
02:32In Melaka, progress is already apparent.
02:35The state's median monthly pay rose from RM2,528 in 2024 to RM2,773 in 2025,
02:45although it remains below the national median of RM2,940.
02:49The next challenge is turning investment into lasting opportunities.
02:53Because attracting factories is only part of the equation.
02:57The bigger success would be giving young Melaka the skills, salaries and career prospects
03:02to build their futures without having to leave home.
