KUALA LUMPUR: The government has launched the national policy on the Fourth Industrial Revolution (National 4IR Policy), aimed at increasing the country's readiness in harnessing the potential of 4IR.
The policy is set to transform Malaysia into a high-income nation driven by technology and digitalisation.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Economy) Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said technology played an important role in improving the quality of life and economic growth.
"The unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic has also changed the way we live, where it requires the government, the people, and businesses to adapt to the technology and digitalisation, to facilitate the new norms.
"The need to be a technological nation has prompted the government to draft the National 4IR Policy," he said during the virtual launch of the policy today.
Mustapa said the policy had gone through an extensive process of engagement to gather feedback from relevant stakeholders, to ensure fast implementation.
The National 4IR Policy, he said, has four thrusts for society, business, and the government.
"First, to equip the people with 4IR related knowledge and skillsets.
"Second, to form a nation with connectivity through the development of digital infrastructure.
"Third, to provide appropriate rules for future needs, so that they are flexible according to technological changes.
"Four, to accelerate innovation and adoption of 4IR technology."
He said the four thrusts would guide the relevant ministries and agencies in formulating 4IR-related programs.
Mustapa added that the thrusts would be implemented based on 16 strategies, 32 national initiatives, and 60 sectoral initiatives that had been identified by the government.
"(And) to reduce the potential social-related risks that could be derived from 4IR, elements of trust, inclusivity, cybersecurity, ethics, and values will be inculcated in all initiatives."
He said the policy did not only involve improvements to existing initiatives but also several new ones covering four focus areas of human capital, infrastructure, regulation, and innovation.
"Whilst 4IR might be seen as challenging the workforce due to automation, the use of robots and artificial intelligence; new job opportunities will be created to increase income and quality of life."
Meanwhile, Science, Technology, and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the government had identified five core technologies to build local capabilities.
"The five core technologies are Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain and distributed ledger technology (DLT), advanced materials supported by cloud computing and big data analytics (BDA)."
He said all these five core technologies have impacted daily lives and the way people do things.
"Whether through BDA, AI, cloud computing, blockchain or IoT, all of them have helped people in terms of planning, implementation, and results."
Khairy said his ministry was working on several technology-related policies and roadmaps.
"These include policies and roadmaps on electrical and electronics technology development, vaccines, blockchain, economy, hydrogen, nanotechnology, AI, robotics, advanced materials and research and development, commercialisation, innovation, and economy."
He said the policies and roadmaps would be designed to involve all stakeholders in facing future challenges, in line with the 4IR core which transcends the digital, physical, and biological domains towards achieving a high-tech nation.