DURIAN TUNGGAL, 6 November 2026 (The Capital Post) – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim presented the Prime Minister’s Golden Hand Award at the 2026 Prime Minister’s Golden Hand Awards Ceremony (MATEPM), recognising outstanding talent and achievements in Malaysia’s technical and vocational skills sector.
The ceremony, held in Durian Tunggal, Melaka, on 5 November, brought together more than 2,500 participants from the country’s skills development community.
Jointly organised by the Ministry of Human Resources (KESUMA), through the Department of Skills Development (JPK), and the Ministry of Works (KKR), the event recognised two overall outstanding winners in the Instructor and Youth categories of the WorldSkills Malaysia competitions.
The awards were presented in recognition of excellence demonstrated through WorldSkills Malaysia Instructors (WSMP) and WorldSkills Malaysia Youth (WSMB).
The ceremony also celebrated Malaysian representatives who participated in the WorldSkills Competition Shanghai 2026, held from 22 to 27 September, acknowledging their achievements and contributions to the country’s international skills development efforts.
This year’s national skills competitions attracted 1,787 participants during the preliminary qualification stage, with 493 advancing to the finals.
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A total of 58 skills disciplines were contested across 23 competition venues nationwide, comprising 38 disciplines under WSMB, six under WSMP, six under JuniorSkills Malaysia (JSM) and eight under the WorldSkills Malaysia University Challenge (WSMUC).
JuniorSkills Malaysia was introduced to provide early exposure to technical and vocational skills among students aged 16 and below, encouraging greater participation in skills-based education.
Meanwhile, WSMUC, implemented through collaboration between JPK and Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL), focused on future-oriented skills aligned with the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR4.0).
The competitions also provided opportunities for participants to demonstrate technical expertise and develop competencies relevant to evolving industry requirements.
According to a post on the official Facebook page of Kementerian Sumber Manusia, the awards ceremony formed part of ongoing efforts to strengthen Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), encourage industry collaboration and develop a highly skilled workforce capable of meeting Malaysia’s labour market demands – The Capital Post
