By Karen Bong
KUCHING, Jan 11: As vehicles become more high-tech and sophisticated, Sarawak will need automotive mechanics and technicians trained in new technology to meet the demand in the auto repair industry to fix electric cars, hybrid cars, hydrogen cars and self-driving cars.
Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said that the change in the auto industry and the repair business means that new disciplines are needed to be incorporated in education to empower automotive mechanics and technicians with skills set and knowledge to fix new technologies.
“Fossil fuel-powered vehicles have (spark) plug and carburetor but the hydrogen car is without these. There is no gear change for a hydrogen car, you only press the button to drive, reverse and stop the car.
“Now with EV (electric vehicles) and hydrogen cars (hitting the roads), we will need mechanics with knowledge of new and emerging technology. We have to teach this new discipline to our young,” he said when officiating the Centre for Technology Excellence (Centexs) 7th Convocation ceremony at Centexs Kuching in Santubong here which was streamed live through Ukas social media today.
Abang Johari emphasised that technology has changed not the automotive industry but also that of the healthcare where today, an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan is all a person needs to get an entire anatomical image of one’s body.
As such, he urged Centexs graduates and Sarawakians in general to embrace technology as well as keep innovating and explore new ideas to add value to all the resources that Sarawak has that would bring maximum benefits to individuals, communities and the country.
“Sarawak’s strength is our resources and we are leveraging on our resources such as water to produce new renewable energy like hydrogen that will not only transform the global economy but also help with climate change.
“In this era, our problem is climate change and we have to find ways to mitigate global warming to make the world safer by cooling down the atmosphere. Sarawak can play that role by producing green energy for the world as we have abundance of water from hydro dams, rainfall and rivers,” he added.
Urging Centexs graduates to keep abreast with the changing trends and environment as Sarawak embarks towards the new economy model, Abang Johari reminded that if they stop learning, exploring new ideas and innovating, they will be left behind even with a degree qualification.
Earlier, Abang Johari also launched the Green Energy Testbed and Precision and Discipline Agriculture Testbed facilities by Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC) at Centexs.
The event also witnessed the exchange of memorandums of understanding (MOUs) between Centexs and its strategic partners namely Solarvest Borneo, Huawei, Curtin University Malaysia, Perkeso Sarawak, Asia e University and Kuching Chinese General Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCGCCI).
State Secretary Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki, Minister of Utility and Telecommunication Datuk Julaihi Narawi, Deputy Minister of Education and Innovation Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee and Centexs chairman Tan Sri Mohamad Morshidi Abdul Ghani were among those present. — Dayakdaily
