UMPSA welcomes PERHEBAT Empowerment Agenda for TVET Ecosystem

KUALA LUMPUR, 15 October 2025 – Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA), as a strategic partner of the Armed Forces Ex-Servicemen Affairs Corporation (PERHEBAT), welcomes the announcement of the PERHEBAT Transformation Plan 2026–2035 launched by the Minister of Defence, Yang Berhormat Dato’ Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, to strengthen its role as the Driver of National Heroes’ Economic Sustainability, in line with its responsibility to ensure the continuous well-being of future retirees and military veterans.

This Transformation Plan is a strategic effort by the Ministry of Defence, through PERHEBAT, to enhance skills, expand employment opportunities, and promote high-impact entrepreneurship for the benefit of the target group, providing wider access and options for veterans to venture into industries offering high-value, income-aligned opportunities aligned with their experience and expertise.

According to UMPSA Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dr. Yatimah Alias, as one of the universities under the Malaysian Technical University Network (MTUN), UMPSA supports the PERHEBAT Empowerment Agenda, particularly through a sustainable TVET and entrepreneurship ecosystem that meets industry needs, encompassing skills enhancement, knowledge, and competitiveness towards career transition.

“UMPSA and PERHEBAT have established a collaboration in providing training and job placement programmes for future retirees and veterans of the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) to undertake certification programmes that offer relevant training and skills aligned with industry requirements.

“This initiative also promotes high-impact entrepreneurship while ensuring that future retirees and military veterans gain employment,” she said during the Launch Ceremony of the PERHEBAT Transformation Plan 2026–2035 held recently.

With UMPSA’s expertise, upskilling and reskilling training programmes can be implemented through technology and artificial intelligence (AI) in interactive, innovative, and more effective digital learning processes, benefiting PERHEBAT’s workforce and target groups in line with current demands.

Also present was the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and International Affairs), Professor Dato’ Ts. Dr. Ahmad Ziad Sulaiman.

In addition, UMPSA has the Quality Verification Centre (QVC), Flexible Learning and Micro-Credential Centre (FLEXMC), and APEL Assessment Centre, which can benefit the community in this country, particularly in the East Coast region, in efforts to expand access and digitalisation.

This ten-year long-term plan has been designed specifically to empower the socio-economic well-being of future retirees and veterans holistically and sustainably, to continuously develop them as economic drivers and high-quality workforce through three phases, encompassing capacity and policy development (2026–2029), high-value industry empowerment (2030–2032), as well as PERHEBAT institutional excellence and sustainability (2033–2035).

Meanwhile, four main thrusts emphasised include career market acceleration, sustainable community development, access expansion and digitalisation, as well as policy, governance, and professionalism empowerment.

By: Nur Hartini Mohd Hatta, Centre for Corporate Communications

Translation by: Dr. Rozaimi Abu Samah, UMPSA Press