Syarikat tempatan perlu segera laksana automasi, kata Johari

Minister for Investment, Trade and Industry Johari Ghani has urged local companies to swiftly implement automation to streamline operations and production without relying heavily on foreign labor. He warned that the supply of foreign workers in the future will not be at the same level as today. "We want many companies, whether micro, small or medium-sized, to understand the importance of bringing automation into their operations and production as soon as possible," he told journalists after inaugurating the AI, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Digital Economy Forum.

Foreign workers were actually brought in to handle dirty, dangerous, and difficult (3D) tasks, not to replace local workers. "We need to treat our local workers fairly, their lives are not the same as those of foreign workers. Our people have many family members who need to be taken care of here," he said. Johari suggested that employers who claim locals are unwilling to work should re-evaluate their offers.

"If offered the minimum wage, they might not want the job because they don't see its economic value. Our people are willing to go to Singapore to work because of the economic value," he added. The forum brought together perspectives from government, academia, industry, and business to discuss the role of women in the AI era, particularly the question of who creates and owns value as AI increasingly shapes the future economy.