Undergraduates Should Change Their Mentality And Think Like A Boss, Says Najib
The Malaysian prime minister has challenged university students to venture into entrepreneurial endeavours.
By Tang Ruxyn — 16 Oct 2017, 12:12 PM
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak wants undergraduates to change their mentality and think like entrepreneurs
Najib has challenged young people to not settle for being a salaried employee who are only at work to punch a clock and collect a pay check. Instead, he has urged them to venture into the field of entrepreneurship, which offers vast opportunities in creating a better life and future.
He said this during the Bicara Santai Malam Gala Varsity Entrepreneurship Skills and Talents (VEST) 2017 event at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) yesterday, 15 October.
The premier cited Chinese business mogul Jack Ma as an example, saying that the latter started off small from a humble apartment but has grown to become one of the world's richest man today
Jack Ma (right), founder and Executive Chairman of Alibaba Group, is one of the wealthiest man in the world.
Image via Malaysian Business OnlineAlibaba started out of Ma's apartment that he was living in, with his wife in 1999. Today, Alibaba is China's largest e-commerce company, and Ma's wealth has grown by leaps and bounds since the company's inception.
"So, I want our mentality to change, don't want the mentality that upon leaving the university, becoming a wage earner is in our head. We must challenge ourselves," Najib was quoted as saying by Bernama.
Najib also told university students to not be too reliant on the government for job opportunities
"I want a shift in our mentality. I do not want for us to think that, upon graduation, we can only work for the government," he said, as reported by New Straits Times (NST).
Najib said that university students should consider exploring all options, particularly online or e-commerce entrepreneurship to penetrate the global market and become a catalyst in enriching themselves and the nation.
"Students should look for opportunities to be the one who does the hiring, rather than is hired for a basic salary. They should not be waiting to be hired, and instead, explore the possibilities to be their own boss," he added.
NST reported Najib as saying that the contemporary idea of entrepreneurship is relevant for the younger generation, who prefers flexibility as opposed to rigid structures at work, or in life in general.
He has also promised students that the government would consider providing enough opportunities including trainings for aspiring entrepreneurs
Najib, who is also the Finance Minister, said that the government will look into using programmes such as VEST, to raise a generation of young entrepreneurs in the country.
VEST is an entrepreneurial competition programme organised by the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry (KPDNKK) and Perbadanan Nasional Berhad (PNS). It was reported that more than 1,600 students from 20 higher learning institutions nationwide participated in the competition.
"Through programmes like VEST that highlight entrepreneurship, I believe that more students will consider going down that path."
"Don't resign yourselves to being just wage earners, when you can become entrepreneurs who pay other people's wages," Najib was quoted as saying by The Malaysian Insight.