by ANIS HAZIM / pic by TMR FILE

EDUCATION Ministry (MoE) urges the nation to take initiatives in digital technology to become the nation with the right knowledge and relevant skill sets to stay ahead of the curve.

MoE deputy minister Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon (picture) noted that the accelerated shift towards digital technology due to Covid-19 has completely changed the way people live and will continuously affect the global community and international competitiveness.

“The idea that digital technology will be the cornerstone of our economy can spur tremendous response towards challenges and cultivate innovation to stimulate growth in the coming years,” Mah said in his keynote speech during Huawei Malaysia’s ICT Knowledge Corridor launch on Friday.

He said that the corridor’s establishment is one of many steps to ensure younger generations familiarise themselves with ICT to groom them into enablers of Malaysia’s digital economy.

In a statement, Huawei Malaysia said that its ICT Knowledge Corridor was designed as an ICT hub to enable Malaysians, especially the younger generation to understand the ICT industry footprint.

It aims to reach a wider target audience like primary and secondary school students, college students, teachers, government agencies and the public to the history of ICT development.

“I believe the corridor would be a manifestation of Malaysia’s technological innovations and development, which would assist our children to get well acquainted with digital tools and obtain the necessary digital skills,” stated Mah.

He also said that the collaborations between public and private sectors are greatly encouraged in implementing strategic digital plans and producing conducive solutions to accelerate innovation and create an effective digital ecosystem.

“These steps can groom our young to be locally and globally competent. With that in mind, I must commend Huawei’s tremendous efforts in launching the ICT Knowledge Corridor as well as driving talent development in Malaysia,” he added.

He also noted that Huawei’s programmes such as Seeds for the Future, Huawei Spark Malaysia, Huawei ASEAN Academy and Huawei ICT Academy are some of the programmes that have left indelible prints in nurturing digital talents in Malaysia and strengthening the nation’s digital economy foundation.

Meanwhile, Huawei Malaysia vice president Zac Chow hoped that the ICT Knowledge Corridor will bridge understanding and innovation.

“We hope to ignite the minds of those visiting, challenge their creativity and hopefully help groom the next generation of digital talents,” said Chow in his welcoming remarks.

He said that the ICT Knowledge Corridor will be an effective education and knowledge sharing platform that cultivates and enriches Malaysia’s talent development.

“Huawei believes in nurturing digital talents. We must cultivate enough digital talent to reap the benefits of a digital economy,” he said.

According to him, it is estimated that the Asia Pacific will face a shortage of 47 million tech talents by 2030.

“We hope that this ICT Knowledge Corridor along with our other programmes can help cultivate an ICT talent ecosystem in the country,” he further said.

Among the exhibits in the corridor includes the history of communication, terminal and telecommunications development as well as an intelligent society and experience zone featuring an interactive wall on intelligent society.