Kota Kinabalu: The Ex-Servicemen Affairs Corporation (Perhebat), a federal agency tasked with resettling military veterans into civilian life, is engaging Sabah industries to employ veterans and military trainees, with roughly 1,000 personnel from the state passing through its resettlement programme each year.
Perhebat Director-General Datuk Amir Md Nor said industries stand to benefit from hiring personnel who are already trained, disciplined and government-supported through resettlement courses before leaving military service.
“Before they actually retire, they undergo a resettlement course at Perhebat. Their salaries are still running and paid by the government, and their insurance is also covered,” he told the media after an engagement session with 11 strategic Sabah industry players at the Sabah International Convention Centre, here, on Thursday.
“If industries engage with them during this period, they can assess the personnel’s competency. If they are competent, they can then be employed accordingly,” he said.
Amir said Perhebat trains about 250 personnel per intake in Sabah, translating to around 1,000 trainees annually.
“These are potential workers who can be employed and absorbed within Sabah,” he said, adding that most trainees are between 37 and 42 years old.
With Sabah recording one of the highest unemployment rates in the country, Amir said the programme prioritises local placement.
“For Sabah, like every other state, the priority is the state first. We give priority to those from Sabah,” he said.
“Most servicemen want to return to their home states. Sabahans want to come back to Sabah, and this programme provides that opportunity.”
He said Perhebat trains personnel in more than 100 trades and specialisations, covering roles such as crane and lorry drivers, engineers, technicians, aircraft maintenance personnel and security officers.
Amir cited a placement programme at Micron Memory in Penang involving 49 Navy and Air Force personnel as an example of the initiative’s success.
He noted that the personnel are now earning between RM3,000 and RM7,000 monthly, on top of their military pensions, two years into the programme.
“One of them had an accident but still reported to work at eight o’clock, even bringing his damaged motorcycle with him. That shows how dedicated and disciplined veterans are,” he said.
Amir also urged Sabah industry players to reconsider how they meet their workforce needs.
“We have our own people, but we are not fully utilising them for their future livelihood. If we give these opportunities to foreign workers when we have trained local personnel, that would be a shame,” he said.
“They have potential, discipline, and training across more than 100 trades and specialisations. The key is how we utilise them effectively.”
Addressing concerns about whether military personnel can adapt to civilian workplaces, Amir said the resettlement programme also includes financial literacy training to help veterans manage their gratuity and pension.
The initiative forms part of Perbehat’s 10-year transformation plan from 2026 to 2035, undertaken in collaboration with HRD Corp, Socso and state governments.
Training costs are borne by relevant ministries. The Ministry of Transport, for example, funds aviation maintenance training under a bonding arrangement, while the Ministry of Plantations supports training programmes at IMPAC under its own budget.
For Sabah employers without suitable training facilities, personnel can be sent to Peninsular Malaysia. Overseas placements are also available, offering salaries ranging from RM7,000 to RM10,000 per month.
Sabah is the fifth state in Perhebat’s nationwide engagement tour, following sessions in Penang, Johor, Pahang and Sarawak.
Follow-up discussions between Perhebat, Sabah industry players and state agencies are expected in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, Sabah Employers Association President Yap Cheen Boon said the business community supports the programme and does not view it as conflicting with efforts to address unemployment in the state.
“Workforce needs come in different categories. What Perhebat offers is a high-skilled workforce with a professional mindset and strong work ethic,” he said.
“Our unemployment situation is largely among low-skilled labour, so this initiative does not contradict the unemployment situation — instead, it helps fulfil industry needs.”
Yap added that companies do not need to wait for a formal framework to be finalised before engaging with Perhebat.
“While we are fine-tuning the mechanism, companies can already engage Perhebat for the workforce they require. It is a simultaneous process,” he said.
He said the Association had offered suggestions to Perhebat on structure and processes to ensure smooth implementation.
“It is not to create obstacles, but to minimise confusion and ensure coherence in how everything is implemented,” he said.
