KUCHING: Industries in the State need to take advantage of the emerging technologies such as Big Data and analytics to enable them to move towards Industry 4.0, stressed Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg. “Some companies in Sama Jaya High Tech Park here are well-positioned to migrate to industry 4.0 and the government is committed to facilitate them.
“The Fourth Industry Revolution (also known as Indust r y 4.0 or Industry 4.0) may be a buzzword that has been heard in the media for the better part of this year following the first three industrial revolutions i.e the First Industrial Revolution (IR1) used water and steam power to mechanise production, the Second Industrial Revolution (IR2) used electric power to create mass production; and the Third Industrial Revolution (IR3) used electronics and information technology to automate production, and Industry 4.0 uses cyber-physical systems such as machines and robotics controlled by automation systems with minimal input from human operators.
“For us in Sarawak, making this shift to Industry 4.0 will be a big challenge. We don’t have the luxury of time to go through the steps of fully adopting IR2 and then IR3 before taking on Industry 4.0.
Sarawak therefore needs to leapfrog to embrace Industry 4.0 and the digital age to achieve our goal of becoming a developed state by the year 2030,” Abang Johari said at the official launching of Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR4) initiatives in Sarawak at Hilton Hotel here, yesterday.
His text of speech was read by Assistant Minister for Entrepreneur and Small, Medium Enterprise (SME) Development and Assistant Minister for E-Commerce, Datuk Haji Mohd Naroden Majais.
“This won’t be easy but we have to respond positively to change or we will be left behind. This is where our SMEs and our youths in particular must be ready to adopt Industry 4.0 to be competitive in this globalised world. We have to connect to the world so as to expand our markets beyond our border,” he said. Due to the urgent need for Sarawak to boost its adoption of digitalization, Abang Johari said the Sarawak government has introduced and embarked on several initiatives and these include the State Government setting aside RM1 billion of state funds to upgrade the State’s ICT infrastructure; the setting up a Digital Village at Sama Jaya and Sarikei Innovation Centre; the recent introduction of Sarawak Pay, and the upcoming Agro Park in Sarikei to encourage modern agriculture practices, among others.
“The key to our ability to embrace the digital future is to have good connectivity and a good IT infrastructure.
We are working towards improving this basic foundation, to create an environment where technology and innovation can flourish. I hope that the steps we are taking will stimulate our economic growth and spur our youth to adopt and embrace Industry 4.0,” he said. He hoped that these developments will inspire many capable Sarawakians, who are cur rently based overseas, to return home to contribute towards the development of the State.
“We have to be bold to meet the change and challenges. While the concept associated with INDUSTRY 4.0 – the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, robotics, autonomous vehicles, and biotechnology, among others – might seem like science fiction, many of these new technologies are already a part of our lives,” he said, adding that the launch of Industry 4.0 initiatives by Human Resource Development Fund (HRDF) in the state is another boost towards efforts to propel Sarawak to a brighter future.
The introduction of the Industrial Based Certification Programme (INBASE) he said would allow funds for ICT Adoption and Big Data for employers and potential employees. He also lauded the collaboration between Penang Skills Development Certificate under the Ministry of Human Resource, Malaysia and Knowledgecom Corporat ion t o establish the Centre of Excellence in Technology (CoETs), which include Pusat Pembangunan Kemahiran Sarawak (PPKS) and Pol i tekni k Kuching Sarawak (PKS) – to train current and future workers so that they would be prepared for Industry 4.0.
Abang Johari said these were all good programmes and he commended HRDF for taking a leading role in preparing the Malaysian workforce for jobs of the future. He believed that aside from providing the infrastructure and policies that support Industry 4.0, it is crucial for employers and employees alike to change thei r mindset and prepare themselves.
“This is where strategic partners such as HRDF come in,” he said. Heal so hoped that Sarawakians will take the bold step towards Industry 4.0, to be active participants and proponents of a more dynamic and economically strong Malaysia. The launch of the HRDF’s Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR4) initiatives in Sarawak is aimed at boosting the Sarawak state government ’s effor t to propel the state into the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR4).
In line with the Government’s effort to spearhead this development, HRDF commends the collaboration between Pusat Pembangunan Kemahi ra n S a r awa k ( P PKS ) , Pe na ng Ski l ls Development Cent re (PSDC) and Knowledgecom Corporation Sdn Bhd towards this end.
Prior to the launch, a panel discussion on Industrial 4.0 featuring HRDF and other industrial experts from large and medium-sized corporations was held to deliberate solutions that will address the challenges of this new era.
