Fadillah (fourth left) in a photo call with guests and officers.
KUCHING: The bulk of human capital in the country must have knowledge of science and mathematics, said Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.
To achieve this, he said a concerted effort must be made by the government and those in the education sector to produce more people competent in both subjects.
“For the country to compete globally and to succeed, we need more human capital with the knowledge of science and technology.
“We not only want to be the buyer of technology, but we also want to sell our technology to other countries,” he said at the closing of ‘Perkongsian Bestari Sains dan Matematic’ organised by Petra Jaya Education Bureau and Headmasters Council of Kuching District here yesterday.
About 240 headmasters and teachers attended the two-day event.
Fadillah, who is Petra Jaya MP, said it could not be denied that science and mathematics were very important for the country to prosper.
“Thus, it is important for those in the education sector to enhance their skills to impart their knowledge of science and mathematics.”
He said during his tenure as Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, various efforts and programmes were made to produce about 60 per cent graduates in the field of science and technology.
The country at present he added only produced about 40 per cent graduates in the field.
He also urged more engineers in the country to do research, adding that not many engineers were engaged in the field.
Meanwhile, he said Petra Jaya Education Bureau was willing to complement the various educational programmes organised by the Education Department to produce more skilled human capital, including technical and vocational education training (TVET).