THE call by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi that Malaysia should focus on particular areas of research and development is particularly noteworthy.
The Prime Minister reiterated that in terms of R&D, Malaysia should not be “jack of all trades and master of none”. Instead, it should know its priorities in order to embark on any R&D activity.
What the Prime Minister suggested is crucial in that we should identify niche areas in which we can excel.
Once this is done, a proper planning and allocation of resources will make the whole R&D process more effective and efficient.
Two of the most important factors in the success of all R&D activities are funding and adequate infrastructure.
Insofar as Malaysia is concerned, both these material requirements for R&D in science and technology can be provided. On the other hand, the third, and perhaps most important, factor – the need to have enough trained manpower to conduct R&D activities – is perhaps harder to develop. As noted by Professor Emeritus Dr Abdul Latiff Ibrahim of Universiti Industri Selangor (Unisel) during a discussion with the writer several months ago, there exists an urgency for the country to focus on the development of adequate and well-trained scientists-cum-researchers.
If this is not done, not much progress is possible in R&D. We can have many R&D endeavours and projects, but without manpower it will be impossible to see the results. And that is why the R&D community in Malaysia should heed the Prime Minister’s call.
A traveller needs to know where he is going in order to know what to bring. Going by this adage, we could say Malaysia needs to know what areas of Science and Technology we would like to venture in to develop the manpower required for this exploration.
Developing the manpower will be an ongoing and long-term effort on the part of the Government. In the short term, we need to bring back Malaysian scientists working abroad while at the same time attract foreign scientists to contribute their expertise.
This will result in a brain gain to Malaysia. No doubt this is easier said than done. Malaysian scientists working overseas are mostly established professionals. It will not be easy to bring them back. To do this, it is imperative the Government rethink its strategy to bring them home. Tax incentives alone may be insufficient. It is equally crucial to create a conducive atmosphere for creativity and innovation.
Likewise, the Government will have to dangle some attractive carrots to bring in foreign scientists.
Perhaps it is worth considering the Bayt al-Hikmah (House of Wisdom) model used in Baghdad during the Abbasid Empire at the peak of Islamic civilisation.
During the rule of al-Ma’mun (813-833AD), eldest son of the famed Harun al-Rashid, Bayt al-Hikmah was at its most fertile. The library housed countless books in many fields of knowledge translated from various languages.
It was also a time when the pursuit of knowledge and development of new technologies were matters of State. As such, al-Ma’mun gave his personal attention to bringing in scholars, scientists and translators from across the region to Baghdad to contribute their expertise. They were paid handsomely and given special privileges by the caliph. These efforts paid dividends as science in particular, and knowledge in general, fluorished under his rule.
The same approach could be tried in Malaysia. We could establish a centre of knowledge excellence, much like Bayt al-Hikmah.
By creating the right environment and providing the necessary facilities and infrastructure for R&D, foreign scientists could be attracted to Malaysia.
Of course, ringgit and sen would also play a crucial role.Pay would have to be attractive and ample funding should be available.
At the same time, local scientists should not be neglected. An attractive reward system should be established. The other conditions too should be the same.
More important is to have both foreign and local scientists working in harness. They would be able to share their experience and expertise which would benefit Malaysia’s R&D activities in the long run.
It should be noted that in the modern world catalysed by science and technology, we cannot run away from the fact that R&D is the prerequisite for innovation which will pave the way for the commercialisation of products and processes. This in turn will result in industrial development for wealth creation.
Malaysia does understand and acknowledge the importance of R&D. Without it, we will only be perennial followers of ideas and work initiated by the developed world.
But how can Malaysia catapult itself into the forefront? The Prime Minister has outlined the first step – to be focused in niche areas of science and technology. When this is done, ample resources could be channelled towards R&D.
Secondly, Malaysia could also consolidate the existing capacities of the Muslim world in the areas of technical co-operation, technology transfer and indigenous technological development.
There are an estimated 7.6 million science and technology workers in the Muslim world. Even though this figure is small compared to the world’s total, it is still significant if Malaysia takes advantage of foreign expertise. Why not tap these resources from the Muslim world? After all, quite a few of these experts provide their expertise to the developed world, becoming Nobel laureates and world-renowned scientists.
Dr Ishfaq Ahmad of Pakistan, during a visit to Malaysia several years ago, said scientists should be allowed visa-less entry to countries requiring their services. This, he said, will act as an incentive for the free movement of scientists, creating a brain gain to the country.
The third strategy is to extend the retirement age of scientists to enable them to continue to serve. Their service and expertise at this juncture are critical so it is only logical to allow them to serve for as long as necessary. R&D is a life-long journey that should never be dictated by retirement age.
The fourth step is for Malaysia to give high priority to science and technology in formulating national development policies. This is similar to what was done by al-Ma’mun during his rule.
These are just a few of the steps that could be taken to ensure that our R&D endeavours are crowned by success. People often become nostalgic when talking of the heydays of Islamic civilisation. The time has now come to translate this nostalgia into a reawakening of sorts, by taking concrete measures to galvanise R&D activities in the country. Only then will we institutionalise R&D in Malaysia as an integral facet of development.