Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Monday (May 15) announced the establishment of the Centre for the 4th Industrial Revolution Malaysia (Malaysia Centre for 4IR), an independent centre within the World Economic Forum (WEF) global ecosystem that will focus on two priorities, namely the digital transformation and GovTech, as well as the energy transition.
He said the centre is the first in the Asean region to bring together government and business leaders, academics, and experts to create a hub of innovation and expertise to unlock the potential of emerging technologies.
“It is my wish for this centre to further accelerate Malaysia’s transformation into an inclusive, digitally-enabled and technology-driven high-income nation, and a regional lead in the digital economy,” he said in his pre-recorded opening speech at the launch of the centre here.
On the digital transformation and GovTech, Anwar said the centre, which is hosted by MyDigital Corporation, will focus on areas to accelerate the next phase of growth for Malaysia’s digital transformation agenda, and the role that it can play to facilitate regional efforts for Asean’s digital transformation.
Moreover, he said, it will support the National Energy Policy 2022-2040 to successfully navigate the energy transition and the development of the green economy, while balancing issues such as energy security, affordability and environmental sustainability.
Malaysia Centre for 4IR, officially launched on Monday by Economy Minister Mohd Rafizi Ramli and WEF president Børge Brende, joins a community of 18 other such centres globally.
It will play a crucial role in driving the advancement of the digital economy in the country, with a focus on supporting the country's digital transformation and advancements in fast-growing sectors, including the green energy transition.
Anwar said that recognising the transformative potential of the 4IR, the WEF had established the Centre for 4IR as a platform to support leaders in realising the benefits of the ever-evolving and growing trajectory of technology, as well as to support government efforts for new policy frameworks, agile governance models and flexible regulation to spur innovation, while providing adequate social security and protection for the people.
“With over 60 initiatives, 300 policy and government experts and more than 450 innovators and technology pioneers available in this ecosystem, this partnership comes at the right time as Malaysia grows its digital economy,” he said.
The PM said growing the digital economy is an important agenda for the government.
“The Malaysia Digital Economy Blueprint and policy for the Fourth Industrial Revolution have been formulated using a human-centred approach to ensure that we can leverage technology, while preserving human, social and cultural values for future sustainability,” he said.
Anwar said the blueprint is in line with the 12th Malaysia Plan, which aims to exploit potential opportunities presented by the 4IR, and future-proof Malaysia’s socio-economic development for long-term sustainability and prosperity, which aligns with the commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
“We aspire to further strengthen Malaysia’s position in the global standing, and coupled with the values of Malaysia Madani, I am confident that we’ll be able to accelerate Malaysia’s transformation towards an advanced digital economy by strengthening our infrastructure, facilitating innovation, and creating an ecosystem for all of us to contribute to bring forth higher standards of living to all Malaysians,” he added.
Source: Bernama
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