Pertumbuhan ekonomi 6% tak jamin tambah hasil negara, kata Anwar

Perdana Menteri Anwar Ibrahim stated at the National Innovation and Commercialisation Expo (NICE) 2026 in Kuala Lumpur today that record economic growth of 6% in the second year does not necessarily guarantee an increase in government revenue. The boost in this sector is mainly driven by sectors like artificial intelligence, data centers, and the digital economy.

Growth in these areas provides more benefits in terms of development, job opportunities, and enhancement of technology capabilities compared to directly translating to government revenue. He clarified this at the NICE 2026 event, emphasizing that this sector functions more like a catalyst for increased growth. This point should be well understood, particularly in the context of the government's focus on science and technology development.

Consequently, he urged ministries, government agencies, universities, government-linked companies (GLCs), and the private sector to work closely together to boost the nation's research, innovation, and creativity capabilities. Anwar stressed that synergy is vital to ensure home-grown research and innovation can be commercialized and benefit the national economy.

"We have reached the stage of synergy with private companies starting with GLCs," he added. He also highlighted the need to increase the number of graduates in science and engineering, alongside strengthening the relationship between universities and industry. Anwar reminded that scientific and technological development cannot be divorced from the interests of the people.