Dr M: No choice but to adapt and master disruptive technology

The first electric car showcase will be launched in October by Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and the vehicles will be designed and manufactured for both local and export markets.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians have no choice but to adapt and master disruptive technology as it has been projected that 65% of today’s children currently in primary education will be working in jobs that do not exist today, says Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

“As 70% of the our current workforce are SPM graduates, re-skilling Malaysians of all ages is imperative in order to ensure success within our economic landscape for the years to come.

“To establish an ecosystem of Industry 4.0, both industry leaders and the talent supply have to fully understand and embrace disruptive technologies.

“For now, adapting is a must, but soon, mastering the technology would be fundamental,” said Dr Mahathir.

The Prime Minister also said that SMEs (small and medium enterprises) had to be at the forefront of mastering technology as they formed the bigger part of the global chain.

“The global value chains and geographies of production are shifting towards Asean (the Association of South-East Asian Nations).

“Therefore, SMEs and local businesses have to be at the forefront of digital transformation to be able to stay attractive for investors and competitive on the global scale.

“A paradigm shift among SMEs, especially on innovation and creative solutions, is key to propelling the manufacturing industry forward as it accounts for 98.5% of manufacturing companies and 42% of employment,” he said.

Dr Mahathir said this in his opening speech at the launch of the Beyond Paradigm Shift Summit focusing on artificial intelligence, organised by Serba Dinamik Holdings at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre here on Wednesday (July 17).

At the event, attended by delegates discussing the development of the Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR4.0), Dr Mahathir was also introduced to the world's first “social humanoid” robot, Sophia.

“Are you wiser than me?” quipped Dr Mahathir to Sophia, who held a lively conversation with the 94-year-old.

Dr Mahathir seemed at a loss for words at the beginning.

The event was also attended by International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Darell Leiking and Serba Dinamik Holdings group managing director and chief executive officer Datuk Mohd Abdul Karim Abdullah.