Malaysia needs 500,000 science graduates to develop country

• Major changes will be made in the next 3 years to motivate students to take up science stream and retain the 60 science and 40 arts students ratio

To increase the number of science graduates in public universities, 40% of the total population of Form 4 students will be automatically channeled to science stream in the next three years.

Apart from this movement, practical science centralised examination will be re-introduced; pure science subjects'teaching hours will be increased to five times a week; and laboratories of secondary and primary schools will be improved, including wiring, plumbing systems and furniture which amount to RM300 million.

A report by the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry, called the "2020 human capital road map", had identified a lack of science teachers, ill-equipped laboratories, poor teaching methods and lack of career incentives as reasons behind the declining interest in science among students.

It also stated that the ratio of 20 science to 80 arts students was worrying as there would not be enough science and technology (ST) personnel to fill gaps in the industry.

It was also revealed that in 2011, science stream enrolment in public universities after secondary school education was about 180,000 students, whereas the 2020 human capital road map stated that Malaysia needed 500,000 science stream graduates to provide enough human capital to accelerate the country's growth and achieve developed nation status by 2020.