No Room For Narrow Minded Prejudice In Schools Says Anwar

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 The prime minister also called for digital technology and artificial intelligence to be mastered at school level.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim meeting schoolchildren from the Tambun parliamentary constituency today. (Facebook pic)PETALING JAYA: Narrow-minded ideologies that judge people based on skin colour or religion should not be allowed to spread in schools, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said today
He said such views, which he described as foolish, would divide the people and damage the country, Bernama reported.
“I don’t care if it is a Malay school, a religious school, a Tamil school or a Chinese school – this kind of thinking must not exist because it will divide and destroy our country,” he said in Ipoh at a gathering with schoolchildren in his Tambun parliamentary constituency.
Anwar also called for quick action by schools to help schoolchildren to master digital technology and artificial intelligence.
He said the country is advancing and attracting significant investments, particularly in semiconductors, data centres and AI, therefore, students who wish to succeed must master new knowledge.
“We must master digital technology and AI. These are the technologies of the future. To succeed, you must master them. That is why our universities now have AI faculties, every university has an AI unit and department, and it cuts across all disciplines.
“I also hope schools move quickly. We cannot plan for five years before starting. It must begin that same year. If we cannot start with 100 schools, start with 50. We must have the courage to bring change,” he said.
He also gave a reminder that English proficiency is important from a trade perspective, and Mandarin is increasingly seen as essential, given China’s growing economic influence.
He said Malaysia still faces workforce challenges, especially a shortage of engineers to meet demand from the various companies investing in the country.
“We now have prominent AI, digital and semiconductor companies, but if we continue with the current projections, we will be short of 30,000 engineers,” he said. - FMT

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