MALAYSIA IN DIRE NEED OF MORE SCIENTISTS AND RESEARCHERS

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 8 (Bernama) -- Malaysia is in dire need of more
scientists, researchers, innovators and pioneers in science and technology,
Muhyiddin Yassin said Thursday.

The deputy prime minister said the target under the Ninth Malaysia Plan was
to have 60 researchers, scientists and engineers per 10,000 workforce, but
todate, the country had achieved only 18 per cent of the desired number.

"We are willing to do whatever it takes to address the shortfall in
scientific talent, as the key to a vibrant and dynamic economy is the
high-calibre, active and performance-oriented human capital," he said when
opening the International Exposition of Research and Invention of Institutions
of Higher Learning 2009 (PECIPTA 2009) here Thursday.

However, he said, the increased impetus on research, development and
commercialisation in universities was an encouraging and positive move in the
right direction as it was aligned to and complied with the government's agenda
to propel the nation to become a developed nation by 2020, by transforming human
capital into educated and savvy innovators and entrepreneurs of the future.

He stressed that it was the government's profound desire to encourage
cooperation between the industries and universities so that they could
contribute together in a powerful university-industry partnership which would
transform the market into havens of business opportunities with innovative
discoveries and sustainable resource management.

Muhyiddin also urged the people to take advantage of the economic crisis to
promote innovation.

"The current economic crisis should not be wasted. We should embrace
opportunities to nurture and generate value-added innovative measures to mend
and move the nation to greater heights of economic prosperity," he said.

Themed "Driving Research Innovation Towards Value Creation", the exposition,
from Oct 8 to 10, at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) here showcases
more than 500 inventions and projects by local institutions of higher learning,
governmental corporations and industry partners.

Jointly organised by the Higher Education Ministry and the University of
Malaya, its primary objective is to highlight the innovative but also practical
research carried out by the participating universities.

"Events such as PECIPTA serve as a springboard to launch the products of the
universities' research efforts to allow industry players and other interested
parties to familiarise themselves with the latest innovative output of the
universities," said Muhyiddin.

At the event, Muhyiddin launched the Malaysia Research Assesment (MyRA), an
instrument to evaluate local higher education institutions in terms of Research
and Development and Commercialisation (R&D&C).

He also launched the IXC Malaysia, an international knowledge exchange
mechanism devoted to fostering business growth through collaborative innovation.

Speaking to reporters later, Muhyiddin called for greater collaboration
between local universities and the private sector to forge smart partnership in
the areas of research and development and commercialisation to come out with
products.

Muhyiddin ackowledged that the funding from the government for research work
in universities was small and that in the developed countries such as the
United States, Japan, South Korea and European countries, the private sector
contributed a lot to such works.

"We hope that in future the private sector will come forward and jointly
start research with the universities and if there is potential to commercialise
it for their benefit," he said.

On Universiti Malaya's position in the Times Higher Education-QS World
University Ranking 2009, where UM had climbed 50 places from last year to 180
this year, Muhyiddin, who is also the Education Minister, said that he was
pleased to note this progress.

Stressing that this was a good example, he said the UM's success was
also due to the university's emphasis in the area of Research and Development.
-- BERNAMA