MALAYSIA CONTINUES TO INVEST IN FUNDAMENTAL AND APPLIED R&D

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 7 (Bernama) -- Malaysia will continue to invest in
fundamental and applied research and development (R&D) as the key driver in its
innovation-led economic growth, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister
Dr Maximus Ongkili said.

Speaking at a panel discussion on 'Food, Nutrition and Population' at the
three-day Science and Technology Society (STS) Forum in Kyoto, Japan,
he said public investment in R&D during the Ninth Malaysia Plan was about
0.7 per cent of the GDP and that the sum was expected to reach one per cent
under the Tenth Malaysia Plan.

Ongkili said the increased R&D investment would reflect the urgency for
countries, including Malaysia, to place more importance on science-based
decision making for their sustainable economic growth.

“The R&D investment strategy will also emphasise on more aggressive private
sector involvement, rather than relying on government initiatives,” he said in a
statement made available to Bernama Wednesday.

Ongkili said the government hoped to see private enterprises taking the
lead in R & D in Malaysia, just as what prevailed in countries like Sweden,
Finland and Singapore.

The panel discussion in Kyoto, which ended on Oct 5, explored strategies
that could sustainably provide the nutritional needs of the growing global
population.

This included technologies that will have to be deployed, from biotechnology
to biofortification, and improve farming practices in poor, as well as rich
countries.

Speaking on the role of the government, Ongkili said it was a question of
choice, capacity and political will for countries to adopt the latest technology
to overcome threats and adversities posed by the growing human population, as
well as climate change.

Malaysia, he said, believed that science, technology and innovation were
keys to the future and in finding solutions to the world problem.

“Investing in Research & Development is the best way to optimise utilisation
of resources, enhance food security and competitiveness of the sector, and
conserve natural resources sustainably,” he said.

The STS Forum is aimed at creating a global network and provide a framework
for open discussion on the future progress of science and technology for the
benefit of humankind, while controlling ethical, safety and environmental
issues.