Ahmad Zahid: Malaysia To Reap Significant Gains From China Collaborations

From Mohd Hisham Abdul Rafar

SHANGHAI, Nov 5 (Bernama) -- Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi expressed optimism that the three programmes he attended on the second day of his working visit to China would yield substantial benefits for Malaysia and its people.

He said that today’s programmes, including his participation in the 8th China International Import Expo (CIIE) officiated by Chinese Premier Li Qiang would enable Malaysian products to strengthen their foothold in the global market.

Ahmad Zahid also witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) and Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) before officiating the launch of the CIDBH Information Centre, the first to be established outside Malaysia.

“These three programmes today are undoubtedly a game changer and, in my opinion, are very much in Malaysia’s favour. We are hopeful of reaping substantial benefits, particularly in terms of knowledge and technology transfer from the universities partnering with MARA,” he said. 

Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Rural and Regional Development Minister, spoke to the Malaysian media after officiating the CIDBH Information Centre, a collaborative facility with Menara Asia Sdn Bhd that offers professional certification services for building materials to companies and contractors. Also present were CIDB chairman Datuk Yusof Abd Wahab and MARA chairman Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki.

In the field of education, the Deputy Prime Minister highlighted that the collaboration between MARA and SJTU would provide local students with opportunities to gain knowledge in fields not currently offered in Malaysia, adding that 5,841 Malaysian students were currently pursuing their studies in China.

Meanwhile, Asyraf Wajdi, commenting on the MoU, said the partnership would enable more Malaysian students to participate in high-tech Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes, facilitated through research opportunities and student exchange initiatives. 

He added that MARA’s management had been tasked with outlining the MoU, which includes lecturer exchanges for collaborative research efforts.

“We are focusing on certain fields, such as drone technology being developed at UniKL, the Internet of Things (IoT) at Kolej Kemahiran Tinggi Mara, and AI, which is the latest addition to UniKL’s programmes.

“These are all new courses, and we will need qualified lecturers. This is why we are organising upskilling programmes alongside research collaborations,” he said.

--BERNAMA