Najib: Malaysia can be a regional education hub

PETALING JAYA: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak Thursday night outlined four ingredients for Malaysia to become a regional education hub, the first being a strong commitment to academic excellence and merit-based programmes.

OFFICIATING: Najib signs on the plaque to officiate at the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation while Jeffrey (left) looks on. — Bernama photo

The Prime Minister said the second component was social inclusiveness where the poor and the marginalised must be given opportunities to succeed.

“They cannot be left behind in the rush to reach the highest level of development,” he said in his speech when launching the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation in Sunway here Thursday in the presence of Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah of Selangor, the Royal Patron of the foundation.

The third ingredient, according to Najib was to strengthen the country’s educational methods by adopting international best practices.

The last element, he said, involved nurturing a cohort of thinking graduates who excelled in strategic thinking and creativity.

“(All) these are critical if Malaysia is to compete internationally with the world’s best,” said Najib.

Najib said besides these, strong communication and language skills were also important and English proficiency was essential as well as fluency in other languages.

The Prime Minister said the support of the private sector was important for Malaysia to achieve its vision of becoming an education hub for the region.

“Recognising that education sector is a key enabler and engine of national growth and transformation, we are considering further incentives to support its development.

“The government will continue to consult and work with the private sector to ensure the education system meets its current and future needs,” he said.

Najib said the New Economic Model will place importance on nurturing creativity and innovation and this context, it was vital that public and private universities focused more on applied research and innovation as well as development of thinking skills.

In his speech, Najib also called on all Malaysian schools, universities and institutions of higher learning to reinforce the 1Malaysia philosophy of People First, Performance Now.

“1Malaysia represents a way of life and reflects the government’s unequivocal commitment of a Malaysia for all Malaysian’s — a place that cherishes acceptance and celebrates our diversity.

At the event, Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah, the founder and chairman of Sunway Group donated RM20 million to the foundation.

Najib said the establishment of the foundation was an excellent example of corporate and personal philanthropy at its best in Malaysia.

“I hope this will serve as an example for other leading entrepreneurs and business people to follow,” he said. — Bernama