Local firms must accelerate automation, says minister

Investment, trade and industry minister Johari Ghani has urged local firms of all sizes to speed up automation in their operations and production due to an anticipated decline in foreign worker supply, according to Bernama. Ghani emphasized the critical need for businesses to recognize the importance of incorporating automation into their workflows as soon as possible.

During the Women, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Economy Forum, he clarified that foreign workers are employed to handle grueling, hazardous, and challenging tasks, not to displace local workers, as reported by Bernama.

Ghani further advised employers who assert that locals are unwilling to work to reassess their offers. He posited that if local workers were provided with the minimum wage, they might not view it as valuable due to a lack of understanding of its economic significance. He noted that Malaysians are willing to seek employment in Singapore because of the economic benefits it offers.

The forum convened representatives from government, academia, industry, and entrepreneurship to deliberate on the role of women in the AI era, focusing on the questions of who generates and owns value as AI progressively influences the future economy.