EDUCATION is an important asset for any country. It is for this reason that the former Barisan Nasional government allocated financial aid amounting to RM61.6 billion for the education sector in the 2018 Budget.
We are entering the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR 4.0), which is expected to transform the way we live, work and play.
Experts visualise an environment where an Internet of Things and artificial intelligence technology will connect us through smart devices, aimed at reducing human frailties and risks.
These experts see machines making our lives easier. And, as we spend most of our time at work, it is in the office that we will come up with such challenges the most.
Experts expect robots to replace humans. Such changes will not only be faced by those who work in the manufacturing sector, but also other economic and social sectors.
What all this means is that we have to be armed for such a revolutionary change.
We not only have to upskill ourselves, but we must also learn new skills. Some of the skills have to be learnt as we go along.
The answer to all these challenges lies in knowledge. It is for this reason that education needs to be supported by the government. Without education, people will be left out of the modernisation equation.
It is not possible to envisage all that will happen in the future, but wise Malaysians will seize all opportunities to arm themselves for such a future.
Business leaders talk of acceleration of innovation and disruption, but this continues to surprise many in and outside the work of the environment. Agility and speed will define IR 4.0.
The bottom line is that we must, through education, understand the challenges brought about by IR 4.0 and learn to cope with the changes.
IR 4.0’s success depends on education.
ASSOC PROF DR SAUNAH ZAINON
Deputy director of research, Industrial Linkages and Alumni, UiTM Johor