KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia cannot afford to have innovation and commercialisation hampered by outdated bureaucratic practices as the country races to keep pace with rapidly evolving technologies, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The Prime Minister said existing systems must be able to respond quickly to changing demands, particularly in fields where technological advances are moving faster than conventional processes.
“Especially in the world of innovation and commercialisation, how can we continue following the old bureaucracy? It is simply not possible,” he said in his speech at the National Innovation and Commercialisation Expo (NICE) 2026 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre here on Thursday (Aug 27).
Anwar said Malaysia similarly could not afford to wait for the conventional education system and curriculum to catch up before exposing students to emerging technologies.
Citing quantum technology, he questioned why complex but increasingly important fields could not be explained in simpler terms to school and university students.
“Why can’t quantum technology, which is now becoming a focus, be explained in simple language to schoolchildren and university students?
“If we wait for the school system and curriculum, it will certainly take time,” he said.
Anwar said Malaysia needed comprehensive and swift education reforms that could respond to the demands of what he described as “post-normal times”.
He also called for greater synergy among government agencies, universities, government-linked investment companies (GLICs) and the private sector to strengthen the country's research and innovation capabilities.
“They cannot work separately because this cooperation will strengthen our capabilities,” he said.
Anwar said Malaysian private companies should also play a bigger role, adding that some possessed research capabilities that surpassed those of certain government agencies.
“Many Malaysian private companies have capabilities in research that sometimes exceed those of certain agencies,” he said.
He said the government had previously pushed for closer coordination between universities and government innovation strategies to ensure research findings could be effectively harnessed and commercialised.
Anwar also urged scientists and researchers to take their expertise beyond laboratories and institutions by engaging directly with schools and communities.
Scientific and technological advancement, he said, should not remain confined to an elite group but must ultimately benefit the wider population.
“Science and technology may seem as though they are in the sky, but we must not forget that we are Malaysians, we are human beings and we live with values.
“So while we reach for the sky, we must remain rooted to the ground,” he said.
