MANJUNG, May 5 — The government is focusing on enhancing the skills of the local workforce, particularly in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI), to meet the demands for labour generated by the country’s recent large-scale investments.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir highlighted the establishment of the AI Faculty at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) to serve as a crucial benchmark for assessing the nation’s preparedness in this industry.
“AI is not just a technology; its impact will span various sectors such as electrical and electronics (E&E), for instance. We anticipate that in E&E alone, we will need 30,000 skilled workers, which may increase to 45,000.
“We are optimistic that within the next four to five years, we will be able to meet the investment demands flowing into the country. We must provide skilled workers in this field on par with other countries,” he said at a press conference during the ministry’s Madani Aidilfitri open house at Dewan Merdeka, Manjung Municipal Council, here today.
“The trade tensions between the United States and China have had an indirect positive effect on foreign direct investment in Malaysia, so it is only fitting that we capitalise on it.
“Many countries are implementing de-risking policies, leading most investors or large corporations to ultimately choose Malaysia as a prime investment destination due to its ecosystem, infrastructure, and, most importantly, its stability, as well as clear economic policies,” he said, emphasising the evolving need for skilled labour aligning with changing times.
“For instance, an engineering graduate specialising in construction needs to also enhance their skills to meet the requirements of interconnected fields, aligning with the nation’s agenda under the Madani Malaysian Economy framework,” he added.
Earlier, Zambry was reported as saying that the first AI Faculty in Malaysia is expected to be inaugurated on May 10 by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at the Kuala Lumpur World Trade Centre.
As an initial step, the Bachelor of Science in AI degree received approval from the Higher Education Committee in January, with the first cohort scheduled to begin their studies in October. — Bernama
