KUCHING: The Federal cabinet has approved Ministry of International Trade and Industry’s (Miti) proposal to initiate a Industry 4.0 policy.
Its minister, Darell Leiking, said his ministry would be focusing on manufacturing and related services to help the country compete with developed nations in the region.
“This policy is only for Miti. However, I would like the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0) policy to be implemented as a whole involving other ministries and fields as well.
“Each ministry should have their own policy (Industry 4.0) so that there would be subsets for the Industry 4.0 policy,” he told reporters before officiating at the Automation and Industry 4.0 Seminar here today.
Leiking said while Miti would focus on manufacturing and related services, other ministries, such as fisheries or agriculture, would focus on high-tech farming and high-tech solutions for farmers and fishermen.
Saying that MITI would take the lead in implementing the policy, Leiking said, “We want that (policy as a whole) so at least we can cushion whatever effects we have affecting our small-medium enterprises (SMEs) or manufacturing in months to come following the trade war between China and the United States.
“We don’t know what can happen economically in the near future. But there are a lot of positive sides. We have to balance out our trade properly, and our exports must go up.”
He also mentioned that there were lots of products in Sabah and Sarawak that should be promoted outside, and the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) would help take care of that.
Malaysia should have been in the Industry 4.0 stage and producing high-tech machinery, but it missed that chance, he lamented.
Noting that Sarawak and Sabah still have a lot of growth potential, he gave an assurance that being a Sabahan lawmaker, he would help the Borneon states as much as he could so that they would not be left out of Industry 4.0.
“For Sabah and Sarawak, I will try my best to solve their problems. We should think about creating machinery. I think we have that availability (resources),” said Leiking.
Meanwhile, Malaysian Industrial Development Finance Bhd (MIDF) group managing director Dato Charon Wardini Mokhzani said industrial players in Sarawak who were willing to take up the challenge and move on to automation and Industry 4.0 need not worry because MIDF could help them financially.
“We provide soft loans and financing for those who want to do automation and Industry 4.0 with good interest rates,” he assured. — DayakDaily
