KUALA LUMPUR: MALAYSIA has passed an important milestone and is on its way to developed country status.
World Bank data show that the Malaysia’s gross domestic product (GDP) per capita at US$10,830 (RM47,745) last year has, for the first time, exceeded the average of all nations worldwide of US$10,804.
By comparison, in 2010, the national per capita GDP was US$8,752, some eight per cent below the then-world average of US$9,513.
This achievement was noted in a review of Malaysia’s Global Science and Innovation Advisory Council (GSIAC), which conducted its fifth annual meeting in New York City yesterday.
GSIAC, Malaysia’s “kitchen cabinet” of national and international sustainable development advisers, is mandated with helping the country achieve US$15,000 per capita GDP, which is the threshold for developed country status, by 2020.
Chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, GSIAC is a body of distinguished national and international leaders in economics, business, science and technology.
The council is run jointly by the Malaysian Industry Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT) and the New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS).
“With the benefit of GSIAC’s valuable insights and advice, Malaysia is firmly on the path to developed country status. There is much to do, however, to reach the country’s US$15,000 goal sustainably.
“From this year to 2020, Malaysia’s per capita GDP needs to increase by US$695 per year on average,” said Prof Tan Sri Zakri Abdul Hamid, the science adviser to the prime minister.
He is also MIGHT joint chairman and a member of the United Nations (UN) secretary-general’s scientific advisory board.
Zakri said such an increase was well within the projections of the 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP).
He emphasised that science, technology and innovation was pursued through the Science into Action (S2A) initiatives. S2A is an effort that will enable Malaysia to sustain its growth beyond 2020.
The assessment of GSIAC’s first five years of work was conducted by independent reviewers made up of the chair of UN University Council and co-chair of IAP, Global Network of Science Academies, Prof Mohamed Hassan and Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan.
Through workshops and more than 30 interviews with council members and stakeholders, the reviewers assessed GSIAC in terms of:
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Economic impact (wealth generation);
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Social and natural capital development (health and environmental improvement);
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Contribution to sustainable development goals; and,
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The quality of international linkages and partnerships fostered.
“Over the past five years, GSIAC can proudly boast of 10 or so collaborations in various areas that led to the birth of several programmes and initiatives.
“Some programmes and initiatives require more time to complete its construction or implementation to achieve large-scale results. However, positive results are noted despite significant challenges in implementation,” said the assessment.
The report calls for the nation-wide scale-up of pilot projects “My Body Fit and Fabulous” (a GSIAC-brokered programme involving the collaboration of NYAS-based Sackler Institute of Nutrition Science and Malaysia’s Health Ministry) and Bitera STEM, with its implementation monitored by Malaysia’s National Science Council.
“In view of the magnitude of the promising potential of these programmes, they should be conducted at national scale or included in the national syllabus or system, and the collaborative efforts between policymakers, programme champions and other stakeholders are crucial to scale-up,” it noted.
Among other proposals, the reviewers called for the establishment of at least one interactive science centre in each state to promote hands-on science education and literacy.
They highlighted the opportunity to introduce the religious educational institutions inquiry-based learning and problem-solving skills.
The reviewers also made several overarching recommendations:
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Close alignment of GSIAC efforts with the 11MP and the post-2015 global Sustainable Development Goals;
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The appointment of young innovators and additional women to the council;
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That the council underscore the importance of science, technology and innovation to economic growth, job creation and prosperity; and,
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The encouragement of more South-South cooperation.
“It is our hope that Malaysia will continue to develop and prosper while making a significant international contribution,” the reviewers concluded.