Shafie Apdal denies GiatMara centre trains youths to support Umno

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KUALA LUMPUR: Rural and Regional Development Minister  Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal yesterday denied allegations by certain quarters that the GiatMara centre was a place where youths were trained to support Umno.

“GiatMara is a skills training institution set up to provide training to Malaysians so they can have a better future,” he clarified.

Moreover, he said, most of the trainees produced by  GiatMara nationwide contributed to the economy of their states, including those ruled by the opposition.

Speaking to reporters after delivering the GiatMara Message 2014, here today, he said: “The allegations aren’t true. We don’t train people to support Umno, there is no Umno flag or its manifesto.

“What we do is train eligible Malaysians just like how we have set up universities, primary and secondary schools to educate the young. The federal policy on education has never been political-oriented. There is no such approach,” said Mohd Shafie who is also an Umno  vice-president.

Mohd Shafie drew attention to the fact that more than 300,000 people had been trained in various fields by GiatMara, in line with the needs of industries.

Of this number, he said 62,300 had furthered their studies to diploma and degree levels, 8,000 became entrepreneurs while the rest joined the private and public sectors. — Bernama