THE transition of a country from a developing stage to developed nation requires the input of science, technology and innovation (STI) in various sectors.
Failure to do so may see the country fall behind its competitors.
STI should be applied in sectors where Malaysia has the natural resources and expertise, especially in agriculture, electronics, healthcare, education, transport, telecommunications and aerospace.
Science adviser to the prime minister Tan Sri Dr Zakri Abdul Hamid said Malaysia had an advantage with the government showing strong commitment towards STI in driving the country’s economic growth.
He said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had personally initiated the move, with recent initiatives, including the Global Science Innovation Advisory Council (GSIAC) and Science to Action programme (S2A).
GSIAC, chaired by the prime minister, is a strategic platform that aims to bridge the gap between local and international players. The council is made up of 53 members, comprising 36 members of eminent scientists, academicians, industrialists and policymakers from all over the world, as well as 17 national council members.
The fourth GSIAC meeting is scheduled to take place on Sept 24 at the New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS).
Zakri said through the dialogue sessions held annually since 2011, the government aimed to tap into the best minds to inject ideas into the country’s development. For instance, on ways to increase the value of Malaysian products.
“The prime minister wants to hear the latest and the best of science, and how science can create innovation and be involved in business. Hence, the council was established with the collaboration of NYAS. The secretariat is jointly managed by the Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MiGHT) and NYAS.
“Since its inception, GSIAC is deemed a crucial added value to the government’s efforts to make a quantum jump from a middle-income country to a high-income economy by the year 2020.
“Najib endorsed three key high-impact programmes, which are green futures, smart communities, and human capacity building,” he told the New Straits Times.
MiGHT is a think tank working closely with the public and private sector. It promotes the high technology industry, looking into business opportunities, policy formulation, and also human capital development.
Zakri, who is also MiGHT joint chairman (government) and GSIAC joint secretary, said four major international collaborations were established through the council, aimed at accelerating national and regional cooperation in the area of green technology, renewable energy and nanotechnology.
One of the key international research efforts, established in 2013, was in the area of nutrition science with the cooperation of Sackler Institute for Nutrition Science, New York.
In addition, the “Iskandar Malaysia” and “Rimbunan Kaseh” projects were promoted as a smart city and smart village model, respectively, for Malaysia and they were studied and emulated by other developing countries.
These initiatives, Zakri said, could hopefully increase the number of individuals with scientific knowledge in order to have a pool of high-value skilled workers.
S2A, which was launched in November last year, complemented the objectives of the New Economic Model (NEM).
“S2A comprises of three thrusts — science for industry, science for wellbeing, and science for governance — that would spur the creation of new jobs, greater wealth and strengthen Malaysia’s competitiveness in the international markets.”
MiGHT joint chairman (industry) Tan Sri Dr Ahmad Tajuddin Ali said during the GSIAC meetings, the prime minister knew what he wanted in terms of soliciting inputs from the participants.
“It was a beneficial dialogue session. It is crucial to note that we are not asking them (international experts) to tell us what to do.
“We know what to do. It is our programme and we should know what we want. But there is no harm in testing our ideas and cross checking with people who have had the experience elsewhere to see if the government transformation plan is moving in the right direction,” he said.
Tajuddin added that the gathering in New York would also provide the opportunity for local captains of industry to showcase the investment potential in Malaysia and to encourage global corporations to collaborate in industrial projects, thus attracting foreign investments into the country.
MiGHT president and chief executive officer Dr Mohd Yusoff Sulaiman said Najib had done well over the past three years in drafting out plans and activities to be implemented in the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP).
He said Malaysia must have the capability to overcome problems and challenges to the economy, otherwise it would become less competitive and trail behind up-and-coming countries like Vietnam.