BFM: The Business Radio Station: A Mountain of a Task: A Government-Led Push for 'Innovation'

A Mountain of a Task: A Government-Led Push for 'Innovation'

11-Jan-12 10:57

[ Programme Segment: The Breakfast Grille ]

National Innovation Agency CEO Dato' Dr KamalJit Singh discusses:

- How innovation can be government-led;
- Whether examples exist where a global titan was created by a government;
- A (BCG) commissioned study's three key recommendations to boost innovation;
- 'Focused funding' - performance management system - comprehensive linkages within the innovation ecosystem;
- How the success or failure of his work can be measured;
- The programs it is running;
- Quick wins - long-term initiatives;
- Whether and Why he has encountered pushback in its plans;
- Reports of the resignation of technical advisor N Danaraj (who was in charge of putting together the National Innovation Policy);
- His desire to implement a competitive bidding system.

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Dr. Kervokian
Posts: 1

Approaching the language issue
Reply #1 on : Tue January 10, 2012, 22:11:21

I'm sad that for a CEO of innovation, he missed the point and became defensive citing examples about Korea, Japan, Germany and Finland.

Yes, these examples are good ones, when you talk about countries with only 1 primary language flourishing technologically. But here's the catch, they've always had innovation in their genes living within a highly constrained environment that forces them to think outside of the box.

Unfortunately, Malaysia is a country of abundance, so we've never had that innovation gene in us. So like it or not, we have no choice but to learn and absorb technology and innovation from other nations. And the medium of learning is English. The language is too prevalent in IT, Medicine, Law and Accounting, that by placing barriers, we will just be kept even further behind.

So I wish you well, but unfortunately, by virtue of your defensive nature, I fear that the Innovation Agency will not meet its targets because the vision will be myopic.