Malaysia is usually lagging behind even though they have made efforts in building the infrastructure for a particular purpose, e.g. the Multimedia Super-Corridor (MSC).

Even though we have spent millions in setting up this 'Corridor' with foreign companies setting-up their operations here as well as locals establishing start-up companies there are yet any signs by the local start-ups to show any promising material of world-class calibre.

We have no Malaysia-like Dell or Microsoft companies that is just waiting to burst on the international scene despite incentives been given by the government. But if you look just across the Tebrau Straits, Singapore has a lot of promising local talents.

The reason being is their education structure and the instilling of competitiveness and professionalism in them.

Just a couple of days ago in a Malaysian newspaper, an up-and-coming Singapore minister said that his goal is to make Singaporean schoolchildren study life sciences.

The reason being that the next New Economy will be biotechnology. A lot of biotechnology start-up companies are slowly springing up in Singapore. Therefore in order for them to be competent the study of genetics and other life sciences is crucial.

In biotechnology you need to be a qualified person in areas relating to life sciences or medicine to be able to have the know-how in establishing a biotechnology start-up and then to go on commercialising your discovery or patent.

Malaysia cannot rely on pumping in the money to establish the infrastructure and providing incentives but must lay the groundwork and foundation in ensuring that it can produce biotechnologists of world-class calibre capable of developing cutting-edge technology.

This is the K-Economy.

M. Lassard

Malaysia