A MARA Skills Institute (IKM) and a government polytechnic will be built in the Tasek Gelugor parliamentary constituency in Penang under the 10th Malaysia Plan (10MP).

Tasek Gelugor MP Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop said the RM50mil institute would be built in Tasek Gelugor town while the Politeknik Metro, to cost between RM10mil and RM20mil, would be built in Ara Kuda.

“We have identified the locations for the two projects. Construction is expected to start early next year and be completed in two years,” he told reporters at his service centre in Sungai Dua near Butterworth on Saturday after handing over food rations to 600 recipients of various races, mostly Indians, in conjunction with Deepavali.

Nor Mohamed said the two educational institutions were among new vocational and technical schools which the Federal Government would build in various parts of the country under the 10MP to cater to students who are not keen on academic studies.

“Those who are not interested in subjects like biology, physics, chemistry or history can take up vocational and technical courses which will enable them to find jobs such as chargemen, carpenters or wiremen,” he said.

He urged parents to allow their children to pursue courses in skills subjects if they wanted to do so as there was demand for skilled workers in the country.

Nor Mohamed said skilled workers could earn as much as professionals.

In his speech earlier, he told recipients of the food rations to ensure that their children have a good education.

He said they could earn a good income with a good education and thus be able to help the less fortunate.

Also present were Permatang Berangan assemblyman Shabudin Yahaya, Teluk Air Tawar assemblyman Datuk Jahara Hamid, Tasek Gelugor MIC chairman B.S. Maniam and Tasek Gelugor PPP chairman P. Thayalan.

SOURCE: The Star