Oleh/By : DATO' SERI DR. MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD
Tempat/Venue : ISTANA HOTEL, KUALA LUMPUR
Tarikh/Date : 08/09/95
Tajuk/Title : LAUNCHING OF THE ACADEMY OF
SCIENCES MALAYSIA
I would like to thank the Academy of
Sciences Malaysia, for inviting me here to officially
launch the Academy of Sciences Malaysia and confer
certificates of appointment to founder members of this
Academy. It is indeed a pleasure to be among such
distinguished scientists. To all those leaders in the
field of academic sciences who have come from all over
the world, I bid them a warm `Selamat Datang'.
2. The growth of science has been exponential in
character to the extent that it is now hardly possible
to apply a new discovery to practical use before a new
discovery is made. Technology now enjoys a synergistic
and symbiotic relationship with science. If the pre-
20th century technology was merely the result of
utilitarian application, with limited understanding of
the mechanisms involved, e.g. the steam engine,
telephone and chemical technology-the technological
applications of today is much more scientific with true
understanding of the scientific principles on which
they are premised. Science i.e. its study and research
has in turn benefited from the products of technology
in terms of new materials, new devices, new designs and
new machines. The ever increasing role of computers in
scientific research provides a very good example of how
technology accelerates the advancement of the sciences.
We are now at the end of the 20th century and already
we have seen the advent of the atomic age, the space
age, the age of electronics, the age of biotechnology,
the age of advanced materials and above all the
information age. With such a tremendous pace of
growth, it would be foolish for a nation not to be an
active participant in this rapid development, for
otherwise the nation would be handicapped,
economically, technologically and culturally.
3. Asia has been the home of ancient
civilisations-Persians, Arabs, Chinese, Indians and
Javanese-and for a considerable period Asia led the
world in the sciences and technology. We gave to the
world the alphabets, the numerals and the units of
tens, algebra, astronomy, celestial navigation, paper
and gun powder, amongst other things. This leadership
was lost momentarily and we suffered a period of
colonialism due to the technological superiority of
others. We are, however, proud that in general we had
not used our technology for the purpose of improving
our capacity to destroy Man and his civilisation.
Asian scientists should cherish the high purpose of
their scientific learning and not be made the
instruments of people with ruthless ambition. With the
current political stability and conducive economic
climate in the major part of the Asian continent we may
now return to the moral high ground of applying
learning for the betterment of mankind. We in Malaysia
must now generate our own home-grown science and
technology to a level comparable to those of Europe,
North America and Japan. We must all look forward to
the healthier and more constructive relationship
between nations that will benefit all mankind.
4. Malaysia has a strong commitment to the
development of science and technology. We are aware
that we cannot provide for the welfare of our people
unless we can develop and sustain a strong
technological and scientific base. Malaysia has been
an independent country for less than four decades.
During that period we have made quite unprecedented
progress. However, we must not be complacent. As
latecomers, we realise that the world is not waiting
for us to catch up and pass those ahead. To ensure a
more intensive process of building on endogeneous
science and technology, we must shift the majority of
our school children and university graduates to the
scientific stream so that instead of the present 25
percent, we should have in excess of 50 percent in the
near future. This requires the propagation of a value
system that encourages scientific scholarship with
excellence.
5. At another level, the Government has allocated a
substantial amount of money for long-term scientific
research under the Intensified Research in the Priority
Areas (IRPA) programme for the past few Development
Plans. To be effective and to ensure a sustainable
growth of scientific research within the capabilities
of the country, we will reexamine, and where necessary,
revise our strategies of allocating funds in accord
with the latest trends. This is not an easy task,
particularly in finding the right balance between
applied and basic research. For industries, there is a
slightly more defined task to generate products and
processes that sell, and as such, investment in applied
research and technological innovations should be given
priority. Longer term benefits for the nation are,
however, much harder to ascertain since, in addition to
the economic dimension of the research, there is the
nebulous cultural dimension that may be beneficial by
acting as a catalyst to further scientific enquiry.
This is particularly true for the basic researches
whose output may not be of commercial value today but
may yield greater economic benefits in the future.
Here, the Academy can play a major role as a body of
scientific experts in assessing researches being done
here and so guide the country towards strategic areas
of benefit to the nation's progress. The government
will be willing to support any promising research,
including those which will ensure sustainable growth of
scientific knowledge and technology which can put the
nation at the cutting edge of modern science.
6. The public should be made aware of what could
happen to their lives and future generations given that
science has the power to affect human society and the
world systems in a very major way. A scientist has the
ethical responsibility to ensure that his research does
not have negative effects, either in the form of
potential environmental degradation, invasion of
privacy, or violation of human rights. Here the
Academy Secretariat can help in communicating with the
public through their own scientific bulletins and
colloquiums.
7. Development of science should always be balanced.
While there may be priorities, no one science can be
developed at the expense of another. Science should be
understood as a unity. This is particularly true today
where different disciplines of science have come
together for mutual support and some eventually will
give birth to new fields and disciplines.
8. It is true that we in Malaysia have mostly been
the consumers of technology. But looking at the
numerous inventions and innovations at this years
`Mindex' Exhibition, I am hopeful that the central
stress on science and technology will pay off
handsomely and more and more Malaysians will develop an
enquiring mind and dare to venture into newer fields of
scientific knowledge. However, science for the sake of
science is sterile and may even be harmful. At all
times Malaysian scientists must be moved by a desire to
apply science for the good of mankind.
9. On this note, I have the pleasure of launching the
Academy of Sciences Malaysia.
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