As part of its ongoing efforts to disseminate information on Malaysian Science and Technology (S&T), the Malaysian Science and Technology Information Center (MASTIC) is now releasing the latest edition of the Malaysian Science and Technology Indicators Report 2004. This report is based on survey data and studies that conducted and published by MASTIC, including National Research and Development Report 2004, Public Awareness of Science and Technology in Malaysia 2002, National Knowledge Productivity Survey on Innovation and Technology in Malaysia, Bibliometric Study 2003, as well as secondary data collection from other organizations and agencies.
List of Abbreviations
Country Abbreviations
Educational Institution Abbreviations
Education in Science and Technology
Due to the importance of information technology and computer science, this field of study is not included in the "natural sciences" and is reported separately. Similarly, the category "Technical-other" includes property management which can be classified under social sciences rather than engineering and technology.
Human Resources for Science and Technology
Research and
Development Activities
- Innovation
- Trade in Technology
- Publications and Citations
- Awareness, Knowledge, and Attitude Towards Science and
323 - Production of television and radio receivers, apparatus for recording or reproducing sound and image and related goods. 2424 - Manufacture of soap and detergents, cleaning and peeling preparations, perfumes and toiletries 2429 - Manufacture of other chemical products, d.
INTRODUCTION
Introduction
- Organisation of the Report
Science and technology are playing an increasingly important role in maintaining and improving Malaysia's competitiveness. In planning Malaysia's future direction towards greater competitiveness, the development of science and technology in terms of scientific infrastructure and human resources is crucial.
GENERAL OVERVIEW OF MALAYSIA’S ACHIEVEMENTS IN
General Overview of Malaysia’s Achievements in Science and Technology
- Education in S&T
- Human Resource in S&T
- Research and Development (R&D) Activities
- Innovation
- Trade in Technology
- Publications and Citations
- Public Awareness in S&T
- Public Support for S&T
- International Comparisons
For the private sector, men made up 70.9% of the total R&D workforce in the sector in 2002. The increase is largely due to the increase in the number of granted patents to non-residents.
EDUCATION IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Education in Science and Technology
- Education in S&T at the Secondary School and
- Tertiary Education in S&T
- Public Educational Institutions
- Enrolment in
Advanced mathematics was the most popular science subject, which saw a 21% increase in the number of students. In the case of STPM, the percentages of students enrolled in science subjects were even lower.
First Degree Courses
- Graduations in
- Enrolment in Graduate Degree Courses
- Graduations in Masters and Doctoral Degree Courses
- Tertiary Education in S&T – Private Educational Institutions
- Enrolment in
- Graduations in
- Enrolment in Graduate Degree Courses
- Graduations in Masters and Doctoral Degree Courses
- Enrolment in Other Programmes
- Graduation in Other Programmes
Within science-equivalent subjects, engineering and technology constitute the largest segment, accounting for 48.0% of the total enrollment, followed by IT and computer science (22.3%). UiTM had the largest number of first degree graduates, accounting for 17.3% of the total graduates from public institutions.
HUMAN RESOURCE FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Human Resource For Science and Technology
- Workforce in Research and Development (R&D)
- Gender Composition of Research Personnel
However, in terms of the number of researchers (PE), there has been a significant decrease in the number of researchers. Looking at the ratio of VE to headcount for researchers, a drastic decrease in the ratio was observed for the private sector, i.e. from 0.9 in the year 2000 to 0.3 in the year 2002.
Headcount and FTE) by Sector
- Researchers (Headcount and FTE) by Sector, Qualification
- Types of Research by Sector
- Field of Research (FOR) and Qualification by Sector
- Socio-Economic Objectives (SEO) and Qualification by Sector
- Private Sector R&D Personnel (Headcount and FTE)
- Private Sector R&D Personnel by Industry, Nationality
In the private sector, compared to the number of employees in 2002, the proportion of researchers with a diploma was higher (Figure 4.6). At GRI and IHL, in 2002 the percentage of researchers with PhDs and Masters of Science was higher.
Private Sector R&D
Researchers (FTE) by Industry, Qualification and Gender
Private Sector R&D Personnel (FTE) by Field of Research (FOR)
In 2000, the research area that received the most attention was the same, i.e., information, computing, and. The research fields that received a significant FTE in 2000 were engineering sciences (774.3 in researcher FTEs) and applied sciences and technologies (314.6). The top three research areas contributing private sector R&D personnel for 2000 and 2002 were the same, except that the total FTE input from researchers was slightly different, at 2,567.5 and 1,840.5 for 2002 and 2000, respectively, representing an increase of significantly of 39.5% for 2002.
R&D Personnel (Headcount and FTE) in GRIs by Institution
- GRI Research Personnel (Headcount) by Nationality
- GRI R&D Personnel (FTE) by Field of Research (FOR)
Although this indicates the importance of agriculture as seen by the emphasis given by government research institutions, the importance of agricultural science had declined over the years. The third most important area of research was applied science and technology, with FTE staff in the form of 215.8 full-time equivalents in 2000.
R&D Personnel (Headcount and FTE) in IHLs by Institution
- IHL Researchers by Nationality, Gender and Qualification
- IHL R&D Personnel
In terms of qualifications, researchers (local and foreign combined) with Ph.D. in the year 2002 41.9% of the total researchers. There were more male researchers compared to female researchers for all categories of qualifications, with male to female. the ratio varied from 2.7 for PhDs, 2.6 for masters and 1.1 for bachelor's degrees. Local researchers dominated at IHLs, making up 93.3% of the total number of employees, compared to 6.6% for foreigners.
Headcount and FTE) by Field of Research
Malaysian-Born Scientists and Engineers Working Abroad
As shown in Panel A, there were approximately 8,100 Malaysian-born scientists and engineers working in the US. In terms of citizenship status, most Malaysian-born scientists and engineers still held Malaysian citizenship (67.9 percent) despite working in the United States. US In terms of employment sector, more than three-quarters worked in the business and industrial sector (77.6%).
The Returnees Programme
As it has been widely recognized, Malaysia can benefit from an increase in human resources in the field of science and technology. Realizing the importance of human resources in ICT for the knowledge-based economy, the government has plans to increase the number of personnel working in the field of information technology from 108,000 to 306,610 by the year 2010, an increase of representing 11% in annual employment. Program to attract highly skilled Malaysians living overseas to return and serve in the country.
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES
Research and Development Activities
- R&D Expenditure
This chapter traces the research and development (R&D) activities carried out by the public and private sectors in Malaysia. The R&D Survey is a biennial effort to measure the changes that have occurred in R&D in Malaysia over the years. The scope of the R&D Survey includes: Research and Development by research type, research area, socio-economic objectives, R&D investments in monetary and time terms, funding sources and detailed activities by sector.
An Overview
R&D Activities by Type, Field of Research and Socio-
Economic Objectives (SEO)
R&D Expenditure by Sector and Field of Research (FOR)
The three fields that received the bulk of R&D spending in 2002 were: engineering (39.1%), information, computer and communication technology (24.4%), and applied science and technology (12.6%) . Comparing the three sectors, the private sector spent heavily on the engineering sciences followed by information, computer and communication technology and applied them. GRIs spent heavily on information, computer and communication technology, followed by economics, business and management, and agricultural science.
Socio-Economic Objectives of R&D Expenditure by Sector
Sources of Funds and
Extramural R&D Expenditure
- R&D Expenditure Outsourced
- Private Sector R&D
- R&D Expenditure by Size
- R&D Expenditure by Ownership
- Type of R&D Expenditure
- R&D Expenditure in Government Research
- R&D Expenditure in
Although companies with revenue of less than RM10 million accounted for 37.9% of the companies surveyed, the amount spent on R&D accounted for only 11.5% of the total private sector R&D expenditure, indicating the limited resources of the companies small for Research and Development. Examining R&D expenditures by employment size, large companies (with employment sizes of more than 2,000) spent about 74.6% of total R&D expenditures. A total of 88 companies with an employment size of less than 75 spent only 13.2% of total R&D expenditures.
Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs)
R&D Output
- Patent Count by Country and Type
- Inventor Awards
The total number of patents applied for for the period 2001-2002 fell compared to the number of applications for the period. This decrease is largely due to the decrease in the number of applications by non-residents. Germany ranked third in terms of the number of applications for patents and utility innovations.
INNOVATION IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR
Innovation in the Malaysian Manufacturing Sector
- Innovation in the Manufacturing Sector
- Innovation Across Industries
- Innovation and Firm Size
- Innovation and Foreign / Local Ownership
- Innovation and Ownership Structure
- Geographic Distribution of Innovating Firms
- Age Profile of Innovating Firms
- Product and Process Innovations
- Objectives for Innovation
- Sources of Information for Innovation
- R&D Expenditure for Innovation
- Impact of Innovation
- Factors Hampering Innovation
Large companies (with an employment size of over 250 employees) account for 25% of the total number of innovative companies. Most of the innovative companies in the manufacturing sector were established within the period Figure 6.11). Both the 1997-1999 innovation survey and the 2000-2001 survey show that a majority of the innovative companies in the manufacturing sector carry out both product and process innovation (figure 6.12)1.
Innovation Across Time: Logitudinal Evidence from Two National Surveys
TRADE IN TECHNOLOGY
Trade in Technology
- Overview of Trade in Technology
- Technology Trade in Manufactured Goods
- Trade in High-Technology Manufactured Goods
- Trade in Medium-High Technology Manufactured
- Technology Trade in Services
- Destinations of Payment and Sources of Receipt Flows
- Contracts and
Although the trade balance in high-tech goods was in favor of Malaysia, the trade surplus has decreased from 48.6 billion. RM in 2000 to 34.9 billion. RM in 2002. In terms of imports, 58.3% of total manufactured imports in 2002 were high-tech goods, up slightly from 56.6%. Malaysia had a trade deficit on medium-high technology goods, although the deficit has improved from RM22.2 billion in 2000 to RM17.3 billion in 2002.
Professional Charges
Construction and Engineering
However, the country recorded an improvement in the trade deficit of medium and high-tech goods, with the figure improving from a high of -RM22.2 billion in 2000 to -RM17.3 billion in 2002. The country recorded a net outflow of money, amounting to RM6.8 billion in 2002 for the payment of royalties, contracts and professional fees and construction and engineering. In the case of the coverage ratio, three distinct patterns can be observed between the categories of royalties, contracts and professional fees, and construction and engineering.
PUBLICATIONS AND CITATIONS
Publications and Citations
- Bibliometric Database and Indicators
- National Science Indicators (NSI) Database
- An Overview of Publications Output By Country
- Publications of Malaysia
- National Citation Report - Malaysia
- Authors’ Contribution and Impact
- Scientific Collaboration and Cooperation
On the other hand, the National Citation Report – Malaysia is an electronic database of Malaysian journal articles in the sciences, social sciences and humanities. Malaysia's share of paper production totaled 10,538 papers or 0.08% of world production, placing Malaysia at 55th place along with Kenya, Iran and Slovenia. South Korea shows an increase in the mentioned percentage compared to the world in the mid-1990s.
AWARENESS, KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDE TOWARDS
Awareness, Knowledge and Attitude Towards Science and Technology
- Perceived Knowledge of Science & Technology
- Gender Comparison
- Age Group Comparison
- Stated Interest in S&T-related and General Issues
- Gender Comparison
- Age Group Comparison
- Attitude Towards Science and Technology
- Age Group Comparison
- Rural Urban Comparison
- Educational Level and Attitude Towards S&T
- Gender Comparison
- Understanding of Scientific Terms and Concepts
- Age Group Comparison
- Understanding of Scientific Terms and Concepts by
- Understanding of Scientific Terms and Concepts by
- Sources of Information and Media Habits
- Media Habits by Age Group, Locality, Educational Level
For the children, only two of the 11 subjects had a lower score in the level of expressed interest compared to the results from 2000. The low percentage of agreement supported the importance of science and technology in the development of society. Regardless of the level of education, all respondents showed a low degree of agreement with the statement "Civilization had come about without the help of science and technology".
PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Public Support for Science and Technology
- New Schemes Introduced in 2002
- Technology Acquisition Fund for Women (TAF-W)
- E-Manufacturing Grant
- Grant for RosettaNet Standard Implementation for SMEs
- Grant for Upgrading Engineering Design
- Applications and Approvals for S&T-related Schemes
An overview of the number of applications and approvals for the incentives was presented in the Science and Technology Indicators Report, 2000. The funding is in the form of a matching grant where 50% of approved project costs are borne by the Government and the rest by the applicant. Funding is in the form of a matching grant where 50% of approved project costs are borne by the Government and the rest by the applicant.
Fund (TAF)
- Commercialisation of R & D Fund (CRDF)
- Double Deduction for Income Tax Purposes
- Industrial Technical Assistance Fund (ITAF 2)
- Demonstrator Application Grant Scheme (DAGS)
- Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) Research and
The industry that saw a significant increase in the number of applications was the electronics industry. On the other hand, the auto parts industry has registered a significant increase in the amount of discount approved. The amount of approved grants corresponds to the number of approvals; i.e., a decrease was observed for the year 2001, while in 2002 there was an increase in the amount given.
Development Grant Scheme (MGS)
Industry R & D Grant Scheme (IGS)
The IGS was established by the then Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (now known as the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovations) with the aim of encouraging the private industries in Malaysia to be more active in research and development in order to better equipped to compete globally. The industry that was most active in terms of the number of applications as well as the amount applied was the ICT industry for both 2001 and 2002.
Intensification of Research in Priority Areas Program (IRPA)
In both cases, the manufacturing and construction sector was far ahead of all the other sectors with grants of up to RM108 million approved from the RM130 million applied for in 2001 and RM170 million.
INTERNATIONAL COMPARISONS
International Comparisons
- Education
- R&D Expenditure
- Human Resources and R&D
There are also significant differences between the structure of the Malaysian economy and the OECD economies. In most OECD economies, the service sector accounts for more than 60% of national product (as measured by gross domestic product or GDP). The agricultural sector accounts for less than 5% of GDP in most OECD economies, while the manufacturing sector's share of GDP is around 21 – 44% (Figure 11.2).
