FEBRUARY 23 — The successful story of Hafizah Noor Isa, the Malaysian who was part of the team that proved Albert Einstein’s theory of gravitational waves sparked my interest to pen down my thoughts on the importance of science and technology to steer Malaysia towards greater days ahead.

In his remarks when opening the Universiti Malaysia Pahang main campus on Sunday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak called on all universities to cultivate a culture of innovation, entrepreneurship and communication among students to complement the national transformation policy by the Government.

This statement affords us an insight into the importance of science and technology from the leader himself. This is telling and urgent as Malaysia strives to become a high income nation by 2020 and beyond, which will take us to the next half-century.

To anticipate the rate of technological change 50 years from now is a tall order, even for a Nobel Prize laureate to predict. But we can start by reflecting on Joel E Cohen’s prediction in Human Population: The Next Half Century that by 2050, the human population will probably be larger by 2 to 4 billion people and confronted with two major demographic uncertainties in form of international migration and the structure of families.

Today, smart drones are programmed to execute targeted aggressors under the scrutiny of policymakers who are miles away from the battlefield. The late Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew attributed the invention of air-condition as crucial for productivity, without which workers would be drench in sweat. In a world that is still reeling and battling the surge of terror attacks, biometrics is the first line of defence to scan potential ill-meaning people wishing to enter our borders.

Technological change is so rapid that consumers today can shop for groceries, flight tickets and accommodation online without having to leave home. Perhaps in the next half century, we could talk to each other using hologram communication as in the Star Wars movies.

Point I am trying to make is, until and unless humans stop learning and searching for the meaning of life and living, the hunt for knowledge will continue to produce new discoveries and new technologies.

Which brings this opinion piece to its final point on the role of governance in encouraging more Malaysians to embrace science and technology. Mastery of science and technology will not recede anytime soon, and Malaysians must make full use of this to our advantage.

Students must be encouraged to explore science and technology beyond textbooks and exams rituals.

They must be nurtured and inspired to innovate and to search for the meaning of life. It is important for the Government to ensure that for science and technology to prosper, we must get the governance right.

Scientists, policymakers and academics must work together in formulating public policies to maximize our social utility and welfare without stifling the progress of science and technology.

I would like to conclude by reaffirming my hypothesis that Malaysia’s best days remain ahead as we have not fully maximised science and technology to our advantage.

Hafizah Noor Isa, and a score of other successful Malaysians who graduated as top students worldwide testify to our talents and brains able to take this country forward. Frank Sinatra captured this perfectly in The Best Is Yet to Come, “we’ve only tasted the wine, we’re gonna drain the cup dry”.

Our cup is still half empty, waiting for the next half century to arrive.

* Nur Ayuni Zainal Abidin, a Masters of Public Management candidate at the National University of Singapore, is currently pursuing her second semester at Harvard Kennedy School till May 2016.  

** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail Online.