According to a recent report, The Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) is waiting on the Cabinet to approve the set-up of a special school that aims to develop “Malaysian genius talents” specialising in technology and digital development.
The CEO MDEC told a daily Malay newspaper that the proposed school aims to provide training similar to how budding athletes are trained nationally, adding that she hopes it can open early next year.
The CEO stated that the model of the school will mirror that of the sports school where they gather future national athletes. The difference is that the school will focus exclusively on technology and digital streams.
Moreover, it is actually part of the government’s effort to ensure that these Malaysian genius talents are developed and not pinched by other countries.
She noted the consistent brain drain to other countries, saying MDEC hopes its efforts would encourage local talents to remain in Malaysia to contribute to the nation’s growth.
Another report covered the Malaysian Prime Minister’s recent visit to Japan.
It was noted that the Prime Minister returned with a slew of potential bilateral deals following three days of meetings with top government officials and business leaders.
Over the three-day visit, several exciting deals and topics were discussed.
First, Malaysia might partner with a Japanese bank to boost investment in artificial intelligence.
Following a meeting with the founder of the major bank, the PM said that Malaysia is looking to partner the investment company to boost the economy and improve the nation’s finances.
The Japanese bank invests in artificial intelligence companies worldwide, including a major Chinese e-commerce giant and a US-based ride-hailing app.
The premier plans for Malaysia to become a top destination for the high-tech industry by 2025, according to another report.
Among the possibilities discussed were for the bank to fund tech companies to allow them to set up offices in Malaysia, giving the country access to new technologies and boosting the number of higher-paying jobs.
The government might also tweak the school curriculum to include topics like AI and robotics, it was reported.
Furthermore, Japan Railways (JR) may help study how to improve Malaysian railways.
In his dialogue with Japanese president, the Malaysian PM discussed Malaysia’s request for the JR Kyushu Railway Company’s assistance to study how Malaysia’s railways can be improved in areas like cargo delivery, it was reported.
The PM noted that 70 per cent of Malaysia’s train services are “unused potential railways”, and the country was looking to find a system to transport large containers by train, instead of on roads.
According to the report, experts from the railway firm will visit Malaysia at the end of this month.
Next, there might be Japanese university branches in Malaysia as soon as next year.
The Japanese Prime Minister stated that Japan has agreed to “start a thorough consultation” on the topic of setting up Japanese university branches in Malaysia.
Malaysia’s Education Minister stated that three Japanese higher-learning institutions – Tsukuba University, Nippon Designers School and Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University – have plans to establish branches in Malaysia.
Nippon Designers School could start operating as early as next year.
