The Ministry of Economy has allocated RM12 million over four years to 2030 for a pilot STEM talent programme in Penang, targeting 100,000 students as Malaysia works to build a stronger pipeline of high-skilled talent for technology industries.
Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir said the programme will focus on four areas, namely STEM education, Math Quest, AI on Wheels and Technical Skill Learning, with particular attention on rural schools and lower-income communities.
“The allocation will support four main pillars, namely STEM education for young people, Math Quest, AI on Wheels and Technical Skill Learning, with particular focus also given to rural schools and lower-income communities.”
The initiative will give students hands-on exposure to artificial intelligence, data science, robotics and digital technologies, while creating pathways into higher-value careers.
Penang was selected for the pilot because of its established electrical and electronics, semiconductor and high-tech manufacturing ecosystem. Akmal said talent development should begin at primary and secondary school before being strengthened through higher education, TVET and industry training.
He added that Malaysia needs almost 60,000 highly skilled engineers to support the semiconductor sector’s shift from back-end to front-end activities.
Akmal also urged industry players to provide students with direct exposure rather than limiting STEM programmes to classroom modules, including through visits to company facilities and engineers sharing their experiences in schools.
“This is so that it does not become merely a programme based on modules, as we are concerned that inspiration may be limited because of its uniform nature. That is why we want companies to have greater encouragement to be directly involved in developing human capital in Penang,” he said.
