Malaysian employees need to gain new digital skills to be part of the future, according to Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil.
Fahmi made the call at the #MyDigitalMaker Fair 2023, a joint public-private-academia initiative under the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) aimed to nurture the interest in technology in students from a young age.
He said that over 80% of new jobs would require some form of digital technology skills over the coming years, and that digital technology-based businesses are contributing towards the current global economy, with at least 70% of global economic growth over the next decade to be driven by such businesses.
“Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology or generative AI has the potential to unlock Malaysia’s productive capacity economy which is worth up to RM 536.1 billion (USD $113.4 billion),” Fahmi said.
“With the number of jobs that would revolve around digital technology expected to triple over the same time, understanding and learning how to harness AI technology would be key to increase the number of high-income jobs for Malaysia,” he added.
Fahmi also highlighted the importance of events like the #MyDigitalMaker Fair 2023 in encouraging youth to approach digitalisation in the job market and in the economy with confidence.
“This holistic and sustainable approach has the potential to develop the Malaysian society from technology users to creators and then, a potential leader in the global digital market,” he said.
The #MyDigitalMaker Fair 2023 is a three-day event that features a variety of activities and workshops related to digital technology, such as coding, AI, and game development. The event is aimed at students of all ages, from primary school to university.
