Malaysia’s tech ambitions hinge on STEM talent, says Mosti

Free Malaysia Today

Minister Chang Lih Kang says a weak talent pipeline could derail major investments from Amazon, Tesla and others.   Read More:  https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2025/05/17/malaysias-tech-ambitions-hinge-on-stem-talent-says-mosti/   Laporan Lanjut:  https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/bahasa/tempatan/2025/05/17/visi-teknologi-malaysia-bergantung-bakat-stem-kata-mosti/   Free Malaysia Today is an independent, bi-lingual news portal with a focus on Malaysian current affairs.    Subscribe to our channel - http://bit.ly/2Qo08ry   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Check us out at https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com  Follow FMT on Facebook: https://bit.ly/49JJoo5  Follow FMT on Dailymotion: https://bit.ly/2WGITHM  Follow FMT on X: https://bit.ly/48zARSW  Follow FMT on Instagram: https://bit.ly/48Cq76h  Follow FMT on TikTok : https://bit.ly/3uKuQFp=  Follow FMT Berita on TikTok: https://bit.ly/48vpnQG  Follow FMT Telegram - https://bit.ly/42VyzMX  Follow FMT LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/42YytEb  Follow FMT Lifestyle on Instagram: https://bit.ly/42WrsUj  Follow FMT on WhatsApp: https://bit.ly/49GMbxW  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Download FMT News App:  Google Play – http://bit.ly/2YSuV46  App Store – https://apple.co/2HNH7gZ  Huawei AppGallery - https://bit.ly/2D2OpNP   #FMTNews #STEM #TVET #MOSTI

Transcript

00:00Malaysia is gaining momentum as a destination for global tech investment.

00:04Tesla has launched its best-selling Model Y in the country

00:06and is rolling out a network of ultra-fast supercharges

00:10with an investment of 13.5 million US dollars.

00:13Meanwhile, Amazon Web Services has committed 25.5 billion ringgit through 2037

00:19to set up a cloud region in Malaysia.

00:21But this wave of opportunity comes with an urgent question.

00:25Do we have the talent to keep up?

00:26Even though STEM enrollment has grown by nearly 10% over five years,

00:30the local workforce hasn't fully kept pace with demand in areas like artificial intelligence,

00:35cybersecurity, and advanced manufacturing.

00:38If we don't back up, there's a risk of this investment, maybe downskilling,

00:44or they will look at other places who can provide more competitive talent.

00:49Science, Technology, and Innovation Minister Chang-Li Kang

00:52believes the groundwork laid today will only bear fruit in the long run.

00:56Though we are seeing improvement, a student enrolling in STEM,

01:00but you can only see the effect after five to ten years

01:03when this batch of cohorts or students, they are coming out or graduating.

01:07That's why we need to plan ahead, very much ahead.

01:10To bridge the gap, short-term solutions include hiring foreigners

01:14and upskilling programs not just for engineers,

01:17but also for non-STEM graduates picking up coding, AI, and robotics.

01:21Collaborations across ministries and institutions aim to realign education with evolving tech needs.

01:27This includes micro-credential initiatives by MIMOS and the Malaysia Board of Technologists

01:32in collaboration with the Human Resources Ministry and TVET institutions.

01:37On the education front, the emphasis is shifting from textbook learning to hands-on experience and exposure.

01:44Initiatives like the Malaysia Techlympics and Kambara Science Borneo

01:48are designed to make science tangible, especially in undisturbed areas.

01:53I think it has to be very interactive so that they can see the connection between real life and also theory.

02:00Despite these efforts, Malaysia continues to face a brain drain.

02:04Graduates, especially in fields like engineering,

02:06are lured by higher-paying jobs overseas, often earning several times more across the border.

02:12If we have a complete ecosystem in Malaysia, although they might be earning more overseas,

02:18there is always hope for them to come back.

02:21The road to becoming a high-tech, innovation-driven economy

02:24doesn't just depend on big names like Tesla or Amazon.

02:28Chang believes it depends on whether Malaysia can build,

02:31inspire, and retain the people behind the tech.

02:35Danis Rajareza, FMT.

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