SWRC at Youth Economic Forum 2026: From Gross Domestic Product to Gross Domestic Prosperity: Reframing Growth for Every Rakyat
Event: Youth Economic Forum 2026
Speaker: Emeritus Professor Datuk Norma Mansor, Director, Social Wellbeing Research Centre (SWRC), Universiti Malaya
At the Youth Economic Forum 2026, held on 3 October 2026, Emeritus Professor Datuk Norma Mansor , Director of the Social Wellbeing Research Centre (SWRC), Universiti Malaya, emphasised the urgent need to strengthen income security and social protection for all workers, including those engaged in gig work, freelancing and contract-based employment.
With an estimated 4.2 million jobs highly exposed to artificial intelligence (AI) disruptions , she highlighted the importance of building a comprehensive and inclusive social protection framework that responds to changing employment patterns, technological transformation and emerging economic risks.
Central to this vision is SWRC's proposed "social floor", structured around five essential pillars: basic income, universal services, transition support, fair job standards and lifelong protection. Together, these pillars aim to provide a foundation of economic security, access to essential services and continued support throughout different stages of working life.
Professor Norma underscored the importance of acting proactively to establish this social safety net, particularly for lower-paid workers and rural and regional households , before financial pressures force vulnerable individuals and families to exhaust their savings. Her message reinforced the need for forward-looking policies that place social wellbeing, resilience and inclusive economic participation at the centre of Malaysia's response to technological change.