Nurture interest in STEM, use AI on applied learning to push Malaysia to a high value-added economy
They said such a strategy focusing on these two areas was critical bearing in mind that interest on STEM was on the wane while Malaysia was still lagging in AI despite rhetorics to the contrary.
Encouraging students to develop interest in STEM is crucial for boosting high value-added economic activities and achieving the goals outlined in the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd chief economist Dr Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid said.
He said such measures were critical, especially at a time when the interest among students in these respective fields are on the decline.
'So, the challenge is how we could actually revive the interest among our students in STEM (subjects) in order to achieve this aspiration.
'This is especially so when it involves a lot of high-tech and high-growth areas, which requires a lot of technological base and math-centric so to speak,' he said during Bernama TV's 'The Nation' programme on 'RMK13: Charting Malaysia's Economic Future,' hosted by Jessy Chahal yesterday.
EPS Consultants director and chief commercial officer Matthew Barsing said the 13MP acknowledges the country's lag in AI readiness and places stronger emphasis on bridging the skills gap through practical education and upskilling efforts.
Barsing said Malaysia needs to move beyond theoretical AI exposure and focus on applied learning across sectors.
'I was fortunate to be part of the AI Talent Working Group under the National AI Office (NAIO), where over the past four months we've been developing a framework for AI adoption across various sectors, from government to small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
'There is a big gap in Malaysia, and the main challenge now is how quickly we can adapt to emerging technologies and new developments in AI,' he said.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, when tabling the 13MP in Parliament yesterday, said emphasis would be given to the adoption of local technological innovations to drive economic growth through the development of strategic digital assets such as AI, data analytics and government digital systems, along with the strengthening of research, development, commercialisation and innovation (RDCI) activities under the 'Made by Malaysia' approach. - Bernama
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