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Kuala Lumpur: Sipitang MP Datuk Matbali Musah (pic) has urged the Human Resources Ministry (Kesuma) to outline a comprehensive plan to reduce unemployment in Sabah, citing the need to address skills mismatches among job seekers.

Speaking during the debate on the Employment Insurance System (EIS) Bill in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday, he said the Sabah Government, through the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (KSTI), has been implementing job matching programmes and labour education roadshows across the State.

Matbali said Sabah's unemployment rate fell to 5.5 per cent in the first quarter of 2026 from 6.0 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2025, describing it as a positive trend despite remaining above the national average of about 2.9 per cent.

He also voiced support for the Employment Insurance System Bill, saying it would strengthen the country's social safety net and provide greater protection for workers who lose their jobs.