Oleh/By		:	DATO' SERI DR. MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD 
Tempat/Venue 	: 	HOTEL ISTANA, KUALA LUMPUR 
Tarikh/Date 	: 	02/08/96 
Tajuk/Title  	: 	MAJLIS FELLOW KEHORMAT AKADEMI 
			SAINS MALAYSIA 



     1.   Saya bersyukur kepada Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala
    kerana  dengan izin-Nya dapat kita hadir  di  Majlis
    Malam Akademi pada malam ini.  Terlebih dahulu  saya
    ingin  merakamkan  setinggi-tinggi  penghargaan  dan
    ucapan terima kasih kepada Akademi Sains Malaysia di
    atas  penganugerahan Fellow Kehormat  (Hon.  Fellow)
    kepada  saya  pada malam ini.  Saya juga mengucapkan
    tahniah kepada enam orang Fellow Akademi yang baru.
    
    2.    For  many  Malaysians, Science and  Technology
    (S&T)  is  still  strange and even incomprehensible.
    But like everything else science and technology will
    not remain strange for long if we apply ourselves to
    mastering them.  And this we can do because  science
    and   technology  are  logical  and  precise.    The
    behaviour   of   materials  whether  chemically   or
    physically does not change.  And so once we know  we
    need  only to remember.  Unlike the arts which  vary
    according to the perceptions of people, no variation
    is  possible  for  any scientific  or  technological
    reaction merely because different people observe it.
    The  laws  which govern scientific and technological
    behaviour  are mere statements of what  will  always
    happen  and not what may happen when the laws  which
    normally govern our society are applied by different
    judges.    Scientific  laws  are  learnt   and   not
    formulated according to the wishes of society.  Once
    these scientific laws are known, the reactions under
    any  circumstance can be quite precisely  predicted.
    There  is no magic in the discoveries and inventions
    by  the  great societies and technological geniuses.
    It was a matter of applying known scientific laws to
    differing   situations  repeatedly  and  tirelessly,
    using  all  the techniques and instruments available
    until the correct formula is found.  Inspiration  is
    useful, but hard work counts more.  We need  not  be
    geniuses   to   make  scientific  or   technological
    advancements,  but we do need to be  determined  and
    dedicated.
    
    3.    Malaysia in the year 2020 hopefully will be  a
    scientifically progressive, innovative and  forward-
    looking   society   with  the   capacity   to   make
    significant  contributions  to  the  scientific  and
    technological world.  This vision is   not  a  dream
    because Malaysia in 1957, recognising the importance
    of  Science  and  Technology (S&T)  in  development,
    enshrined  it in the Rukunegara and incorporated  it
    in the national education system.  Thus, primary and
    secondary  schools,  universities  and  polytechnics
    have   already  implemented   science  as  the   key
    discipline  to  produce  a  skilled  and   competent
    scientific workforce.  The rapid, modern technology-
    based   industrialisation   bears   testimony    the
    correctness to our efforts.
    
    4.   An  important  prerequisite to  progress  is  a
    balanced approach to S&T development. Today, nations
    look forward to S&T for salvaging stagnant economies
    and  overcoming misery and poverty.  And so we  need
    to  focus on applied research, looking for  what  is
    relevant   and  useful  for  us  and  our   society.
    Research  for  the sake of knowledge may  eventually
    result  in something useful, but we do not have  the
    money or the time for this luxury.
    
    5.   Recognising the importance of infrastructure as
    one   of  the  prerequisites  for  a  sustained  S&T
    development,    Malaysia  has  established   several
    agencies.   Among them are the Malaysian  Technology
    Development   Corporation  (MTDC),   the   Malaysian
    Industry-Government Group on High Technology (MIGHT)
    and  the  Malaysian  Invention  and  Design  Society
    (MINDS).   These agencies provide institutional  and
    support  infrastructures and are themselves involved
    in S&T management and implementation.
    
    6.    The  trend towards globalisation  of  business
    requires   a   strong  public  and  private   sector
    partnership.  Globalisation requires coordination of
    available   technological  resources   to   mutually
    benefit  businesses operating in a  number  of  host
    countries. This government-industry partnership must
    work  towards strengthening our current  comparative
    advantage  so  as to sustain, and even  enhance  our
    competitiveness.    Strengthening   the   indigenous
    technological   capacity  and  capability   requires
    concerted  effort to ensure acquisition  of  foreign
    technology.   We  can expect that  others  will  not
    transfer all their technology to us.  But we need to
    know  as  much of the basic as possible  for  us  to
    develop the rest.  We must always remember that when
    we  come upon anything new and valuable in terms  of
    our  own research, we do not rush to transfer it  to
    others.
    
    7.    Indeed our culture is against the transfer  of
    our   specialised  skills  to  others.   Thus  while
    Western  doctors  report regularly  in  the  medical
    journals  about their findings in the  treatment  of
    some  diseases  or other, our `dukuns'  or  `bomohs'
    would  never  dream of telling anyone  their  secret
    cure.   And  so  many  useful  cure  dies  with  the
    practitioner.
    
    8.   We have to get over this cultural mental block.
    We have to report our discoveries because it is good
    for  the progress of mankind.  Our reward should  be
    recognition  by society through such awards  as  the
    Nobel  Price.  We can of course patent our discovery
    and  be paid royalty for the rights.  But the  worse
    thing  we can do is to carry out knowledge  and  our
    skills to the grave.  Let us think of this sometimes
    when  we  complain  about  others  not  wanting   to
    transfer technology to us.
    
    9.    The  Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM)  is  a
    congregation of the top scientific and technological
    minds  in  our  country.   ASM  is  well  poised  to
    participate  in high-level thinking and deliberation
    of scientific and technological issues.  It can play
    an  important role in formulating proposals for  the
    consideration of the Government.
    
    10.  I am happy to note that the Academy of Sciences
    Malaysia, since its inauguration in September  1995,
    has  been able to formulate and implement programmes
    that  impact  on  creating S&T awareness  among  the
    public  via workshops, public lectures and  orations
    on  subjects  related to the latest developments  in
    S&T.  It  has  also managed to produce a  number  of
    publications.
    
    11.  Once again I would like to thank the Academy of
    Sciences for the honour conferred on me by the award
    of  Honorary Fellow of the Academy.  I pray that one
    day  the  term  `Academician' would be exclusive  to
    those  elected to be real (not honorary) members  of
    the  Academy  of  Sciences, a  title  that  will  be
    honoured  by the academic circles and by society  at
    large.