KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 3 — Malaysia is currently emulating developed
countries like Japan, Germany and America by giving emphasis to Science,
Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) studies and Technical
and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), said Tun Dr Mahathir
Mohamad.
The Prime Minister said the move to make STEM and TVET the main
agenda of the country’s education was to produce more skilled personnel
in technical professions.
“We also do not want to be left behind in ensuring that STEM and TVET
are prioritised, with the latest statistics showing that 44 per cent of
students in Malaysia made STEM fields their choice, and the government
is aiming to increase this percentage to 60 per cent in the future,” he
said.
Dr Mahathir was speaking at the launch of the National Technical
Profession Day (HPTN) 2019 through a video recording here today.
He drew attention to developed countries which also stressed on
innovation and producing the latest technologies, making them among the
countries with the most number of registered patents globally.
Dr Mahathir said there are some Malaysians whose expertise in
technical professions are recognised in the foreign countries where they
work.
This, he said, was proven in the success of Petronas which is now
operating throughout the world with staff who have mastered the
knowledge and skills in technical areas of the oil and gas industry.
“This success will surely contribute to increasing the national revenue,” said the prime minister.
Dr Mahathir stressed that present-day global developments
specifically the Industrial Revolution 4.0 or IR4.0 are based on the
latest technologies which are aimed at creating an industrial, economic
and living environment which is fast, intelligent and dynamic.
In view of this, he said, the country must ensure that its workers in
the technical field are equipped with the latest skills through
upgrades and up-scaling which are based on technological developments
and the future needs of the industry.
“Our joint efforts will ensure that our dependability on foreign labour in technical areas can be controlled and reduced.
“We do not have a choice but to work more aggressively to take
technical professions to a higher level,” Dr Mahathir said. — Bernama
