Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim emphasised the importance of prioritising the training of young people in artificial intelligence (AI) to prevent Malaysia from lagging behind in this field.
He urged implementing agencies, especially ministries, to focus on enhancing Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), ensuring accessibility to all interested individuals, including those from religious schools, according to Bernama.
Anwar highlighted the need to address the shortage of engineers and the demand for skilled workers, particularly in light of recent investments like Microsoft’s RM10.5 billion investment. Malaysia currently lacks 30,000 engineers.
He stressed the importance of bridging the urban-rural gap by making AI and TVET training accessible to everyone. Anwar called for collaboration between federal and state governments to prioritise this training.
Additionally, he urged the Education Ministry to promote science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects among school students, emphasising the need for immediate action to strengthen Malaysia’s competitiveness in AI and TVET fields.
The Global AI Index of 2023 indicates that Malaysia is ranked 44th in terms of investment, innovation, and implementation of AI technologies. Meanwhile, our southern neighbour holds the third position.
