LOCAL INDUSTRIES ASKED TO BE MORE OPEN TO STUDENTS

FROM MASSITA AHMAD

AMSTERDAM, March 8 (Bernama) -- Malaysian International Trade and Industry
Minister Mustapa Mohamed wants local industries to be more open to university
students to allow them exposure to industry as done in the Netherlands.

"We do not have a tradition of involvement of lecturers and students to have
close relations with industries," he said in a meeting with Malaysian students
studying in the Netherlands here Sunday.

Mustapa is on a eight-day trade and investment mission to three main European
cities, namely Amsterdam, Hamburg (Germany) and Birmingham (United Kingdom).

He said industries had voiced that the number of students who did practical
training was too high, almost a million, and this burdened them.

They also saw no relevance of lecturers and students to the development of
their company in the future, he said.

"That is among their reasons," said Mustapa.

He said industries should actually be aware of the long term value that they
can obtain by having liaison with lecturers and students early on.

"In Holland the industries consider it their responsibility to benefit
themselves and the country in general," he said, adding that there must be more
aggression in engaging industries.

"If need be go to the media if industries refuse to cooperate," said the
minister.

Earlier, the students suggested industries in Malaysia emulate those in
Holland which had close relations with students while still at secondary school
level.

They said students in Holland were more experienced as they were exposed to
"live projects" by industries.

"The chief executive officer of companies like KLM Royal Dutch
Airlines; the operator of the Amsterdam airport, Schiphol Group; and others will
come if invited.

"They give lectures as early as 8am. Not paid. Its voluntary. What's given
is a cup of coffee. In Malaysia, it cannot be assured that a chief executive
officer will entertain an invitation from a student," one student said.

-- BERNAMA