Zahid urges UiTM to establish Quantum Department, says Malaysia must not lag

Shah Alam, October 4th — Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has urged Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) to set up a Quantum Department, stating that Malaysia should not fall behind in the rapidly advancing field. Zahid, who serves as the Rural and Regional Development Minister, believes that the department will be established next year to foster local expertise in quantum technology.

He expressed confidence that the potential of quantum technology is immense, attracting many students to study in this domain and eventually, within a decade, producing quantum experts in the country. Quantum technology is a sophisticated field that leverages quantum mechanics properties, such as superposition and entanglement of subatomic particles, to process information at an unprecedented speed.

The Ministry of Rural and Regional Development will provide a sum of RM500,000 to support the development of programmes like the TVET UiTM Dihatiku training and certification programme, UTAMA PLUS UiTM AI Certified, and the establishment of the Quantum Department.