KUALA LUMPUR, May 31 — The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is creating new avenues for collaboration between Malaysia and China.
With the global race for AI talent heating up, Malaysia aims to form a strategic partnership with China to bridge the talent gap and propel both nations to the forefront of the AI revolution.
Acknowledging China’s advancements in AI, Malaysia’s Transport Minister Anthony Loke noted China’s strong emphasis on AI education, which greatly interests Malaysia.
“There is a strong emphasis by the government, especially by the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim), who keeps on insisting on the importance of adopting and learning AI.
“I think the Chinese have a lot of knowledge and expertise on AI that they can share with us.
“There is a lot of emphasis on technology and AI education in China. I’m sure this is one area where Malaysia is really, really interested,” he said on Bernama’s TV programme “Roundtable: 50 Years of Malaysia-China Friendship” on Friday.
Loke was one of four panellists in the one-hour forum marking the 50th anniversary of Malaysia-China relations. The other panellists included Lin Shiguang, Minister-Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Malaysia; Datuk Abdul Majid Ahmad Khan, President of the Malaysia-China Friendship Association; and Datuk Ng Yih Pyng, Deputy President of the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia.
Malaysia and China are also set to enhance collaboration in two key educational areas: Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education.
Loke highlighted TVET as a key focus for Malaysia’s education system, aiming to equip students with practical, workforce-ready skills.
“TVET is part of the government’s vision to focus the education system on catering to students who may not be as interested in academic studies. Through TVET, we can train and equip them with the skills needed for the workforce.
“Strong emphasis is being placed on TVET, and we have a strong collaborative partnership with China in this area. China has offered many opportunities for our students to receive TVET training, and vice versa. We hope to see even more collaboration in the future,” he said.
Meanwhile, Lin emphasised the significance of leveraging China’s expertise in advancing TVET, noting that the partnership holds promise in addressing the shortage of skilled workers crucial for mega infrastructure projects.
“We have been very successful in this field, especially in pushing forward mega construction projects. However, there has been a shortage of TVET workers, and we need to work very hard to meet the challenges and requirements for these mega projects.
“It is also crucial for us to emphasise STEM education, especially with the rapid development of AI, cloud computing, big data, and other emerging technologies like IoT,” he said.
On Thursday, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced that 220 Chinese companies are offering 5,125 places to Malaysian students for short-, medium- and long-term training related to TVET.
This initiative, seen as a game changer for Malaysia’s TVET industry, stems from a collaboration between the National Organisation of Skilled Workers (Belia Mahir) and China’s TVET sector, including Beifang Automotive Education Group and Tang (M) International Education Group, through a memorandum of understanding (MoU).
Abdul Majid underscored the strong and dynamic ties between Malaysia and China as they commemorate their golden jubilee, highlighting the deepened trust and respect between the two nations.
Malaysia was the first Asean country to establish diplomatic relations with China.
“With this trust, both countries have been able to expand bilateral cooperation in various sectors including politics, diplomacy, culture, education and transport.
“For Malaysia, this relationship with China allows us to reset our foreign policy towards non-alignment, which was not the case before, so it’s a very significant step.
“We have always advocated that China has a legitimate interest and a role to play in international affairs, and bilaterally, we recognise China as a close neighbour with a long civilisation, which is very important to Malaysia,” said Abdul Majid, who served as Malaysia’s ambassador to China from 1998 to 2005. — Bernama
