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.