Daim: Education Ministry’s misplaced priorities reason Malaysia lagging in business jump

Malaysia is trailing different international locations in the digitization of industries because of the Education Ministry’s out of place priorities, Tun Daim Zainuddin wrote these days.
In an editorial for The Edge economic paper, the adviser to Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad bluntly stated Malaysia has did not draw close the concept and significance of a knowledge-based totally economic system.
“To take part in IR 4.0, we ought to go through a knowledge-based economic system and here Malaysia has failed because the authorities, thru the Ministry of Education, has now not got its priorities right. The ministry has to now not fail our kingdom,” he wrote.
Daim mentioned public discontent toward the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition whom he campaigned to position into a strength.
He said the authorities’ monetary guidelines are useless without a sound training system, noting the “snail’s pace” in educational reform, which he pinned on the ministry helmed by way of Maszlee Malik.
“We are nonetheless arguing over whether or not we must educate Mathematics and Science in English, while the rest of the arena has launched into advanced curriculums that focus on the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR four.Zero), so that it will make their youths greater aggressive and applicable, in an international that is going to be dominated via artificial intelligence and robotics,” he wrote.
The former two-time finance minister’s caustic declaration on instructional priorities echoes the sentiment with the aid of every other close buddy of Dr. Mahathir, Country Heights govt director Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew who advised the Education Ministry to make khat non-compulsory rather than obligatory for faculties amid public backlash, specifically from the non-Malay groups.
‘Them vs us’
The 81-12 months-antique reiterated his call to disable the modern-day pro-Bumiputera schooling guidelines and update it with a desires-based totally gadget.
As a working example, Daim highlighted once more the loophole allowing well-to-do Malays to advantage limited public scholarships below Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) and access into Mara Junior Science College (MRSM) at the rate of poorer Bumiputera, which includes each urban and rural poor and from indigenous organizations.
He claimed many properly-off Bumiputera has been abusing the rules to complement themselves.
“We have been robbing the terrible to similarly uplift folks that do no longer deserve the guide, and this widening of the education and income gap ought to come to an end,” he said.
He cited that some Bumiputera even resorts to racial fear-mongering to maintain their perks.
“The fearmongering is simplest to inspire and continue this abuse. It’s time to forestall the ‘them as opposed to us’ rhetoric,” he stated.
Venturing similarly, Daim wondered the morality in instilling notions of racial superiority amongst youngsters by birthright by myself.
“Is it moral to drill into students that different college students are not entitled to certain privileges simply due to the fact they may be not a positive race, although they are economically deprived?
“Is it proper that you are taught to feel advanced because the language you are taught in is also the language of an economically effective kingdom?” he asked.
He called for greater knowledge and empathy across the racial divide.
Daim indicated that “them as opposed to us” mind-set and fearmongering turned into prolonged to the manner Malaysians accuse foreigners of stealing jobs and work opportunities on the fee of locals.
He stated the reality is that Malaysians are an increasing number of being changed due to technological advancements.
“While a few are busy blaming ‘others’ and foreigners for removing our jobs, the fact is that era will affect the most on destiny employment, as robots replace human beings in menial obligations,” he stated.
He talked about that the want for Malaysians to increase their competencies, pronouncing technological advances need to be seen positively because the World Economic Forum estimated the advent of 133 million jobs.
“So the question is, ‘Are we in Malaysia equipped for this soar?’ Let’s be brutally honest right here ― we aren’t. In reality, we’re a long way from prepared. We are still playing catch up with IR four.0 education, whilst others are already gearing for the Fifth Industrial Revolution,” he said.