Malaysia records best WSC achievement since 1995 – Ahmad Maslan

SHANGHAI – Malaysia recorded its best achievement in the WorldSkills Competition (WSC) since 1995 after successfully bringing home one bronze medal and 13 Medals for Excellence at the Shanghai 2026 edition.

Deputy Works Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Maslan said that the success of winning 14 medals in 21 skills categories participated in saw two-thirds of the country's total participants making a name for themselves on the international stage.

Ahmad, who is also the country’s WSC Chef De Mission, said that the excellent results indirectly boosted the position of Malaysian youth participants into the top 10 in the world for the 11 contested skills.

"This is the country's best achievement in terms of the number of medals we have won since 1995 when we entered the WSC," he told Bernama after the closing ceremony of the WSC Shanghai 2026 at the Shanghai World Expo Cultural Centre here on Sunday.

He described the significant increase in medals compared to the 2024 edition in Lyon, France, which only recorded one bronze and four Excellence Medals, as a major success that Malaysians should be proud of.

Ahmad said the improvement in the quality of achievements of local youths under the age of 22 was evidenced by their mastery of scores exceeding 700 out of a full 1,000 points required for the international level Excellence Medal rating.

Through the official championship results, Malaysia achieved fourth place in the world for Rail Vehicle Technology, fifth place in the world for Electronics and Bakery, while the fields of Digital Construction and 3D Digital Game Art each secured sixth place in the world.

"Alhamdulillah, out of 21 participants, 14 received medals, so two-thirds of our participants won medals. That is a success that I think can certainly be appreciated and proud of," he said.

Commenting on the target for the 2028 WSC edition in Aichi, Japan, Ahmad emphasised that the national contingent is determined to expand participation to a minimum of 50 per cent or 32 out of 64 contested skills in an effort to pursue the country's first gold medal.

"First, we want gold medals, silver medals, bronze medals, and the Medal for Excellence. Secondly, we want to increase from just one-third of the fields we participate in, which is 21 out of 64, to a minimum of 50 per cent of the contested skill areas," he said.

Ahmad said that consistent participation in the WSC series, from the national level to Asean and Asia, has proven to be a key catalyst for the improvement of the local Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) ecosystem standards.

He said that based on previous regional achievements, Malaysia emerged as the Overall Champion at WorldSkills Asean Manila 2025, winning 13 gold medals, before securing the third-best position in Asia at WorldSkills Asia Taipei 2025 with five gold medals.

He said the impressive achievements at the international level reflect the strong synergy of various implementing agencies under the auspices of the National TVET Council, including the Ministry of Human Resources (KESUMA), the Ministry of Works (KKR), and the Ministry of Rural Development (KKDW).

Ahmad also emphasised that TVET, which now accommodates nearly 500,000 students in 1,398 training institutions across the country, is no longer a second choice but is recognised as a primary career.

WSC Shanghai 2026 saw the Malaysian contingent represented by 22 participants competing in 21 skill areas covering various technical sectors under the supervision of the Department of Skills Development and KKR.

The championship, which took place from Sept 22 to 27, brought together 1,400 young professionals with top skills from 65 countries and regions, representing 64 skill areas. –BERNAMA