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.
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