KUALA LUMPUR, April 15 -- Low earnings for Malaysian fresh graduates was a long-standing issue due to the lack of skilled and high-paying jobs in the country and not caused entirely by the Covid-19 pandemic, said analysts.

They disagreed with the government's assertion that the growing proportion of graduates in the bottom RM1,001 to RM1,500 pay tier was solely a result of the economic disruptions that accompanied the pandemic.

The Ministry of Higher Education's annual survey data as compiled by Malay Mail shows that a minimum of 10 per cent of fresh graduates with degrees have been earning between RM1,001 to RM1,500 for at least the past 10 years.

In 2020, the proportion of Malaysian graduates with degrees earning in the bracket hit a...