______2015/CSA/019 Agenda Item: 5

Welcome Remarks

Purpose: Information Submitted by:

Third APEC Chief Science Advisors and Equivalents Meeting , Malaysia 14-16 October 2015

OPENING CEREMONY THIRD MEETING OF THE APEC ECONOMIES’ CHIEF SCIENCE ADVISORS AND EQUIVALENTS

Welcoming Remarks

Prof Tan Sri Zakri Abdul Hamid, Science Advisor to the Prime Minister of Malaysia

Hilton Kuala Lumpur

15 October 2015

Salutations

The Honourable Dato’ Sri Najib Tun Razak Prime Minister of Malaysia

Sir Peter Gluckman Chief Science Advisor to the Prime Minister of New Zealand

The Honourable Dato’ Seri Idris Jusoh Minister of Higher Education, Malaysia

Honourable Deputy Ministers,

Heads of Foreign Missions,

Distinguished members of the APEC Economies’ Chief Science Advisors and Equivalents,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Assalamualaikum, Salam 1Malaysia and a very good afternoon.

I would like to extend a warm welcome to all of you, especially members of the APEC Economies’ Chief Science Advisors and Equivalents. My appreciation and gratitude goes to the Honourable Prime Minister for being here with us today despite his hectic schedule.

Page | 1

2. I am also pleased to note the presence of some 500 attendees to this official opening ceremony representing politicians, senior government officials, academics, captains of industry and NGOs.

Ladies and gentlemen,

3. As Sir Peter, the ‘permanent’ Co-Chair and main catalyst of this Initiative will later tell you, the APEC CSAE started as an informal gathering of scientists with the strategic responsibility of advising governments at the highest level on scientific issues for policy, knowledge-sharing, best practices, strategies and opportunities, in order to build strategic science and innovation relationships across the APEC region.

4. The group first met in Medan in 2013 and had its second meeting in Auckland last year. During this third meeting, we will have representations from China, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Thailand and the United States.

Ladies and gentlemen,

5. We are here to demonstrate the utility and usefulness of science diplomacy among economies which are the most vibrant and the most challenging in the world – the APEC region.

6. Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was once quoted as follows, “the problems we face today are international and -- whether it’s tackling global warming or fighting disease -- these global problems require global solutions…that is why it is important that we create a new role for science in international policy-making and diplomacy…to place science at the heart of the progressive international agenda.”

Page | 2

Ladies and gentlemen,

7. Science diplomacy is still a fluid concept, but can usefully be applied to the role of science, technology and innovation in three dimensions of policy:

8. Science in diplomacy – informing foreign policy objectives with scientific advice. This is well illustrated in the role played by the Nobel Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to shape global policies to combat global warming, an issue up for discussion by world governments in Paris this December. As part of Malaysia’s contribution towards global efforts to combat global warming, during the Climate Change summit in Copenhagen in 2009, Prime Minister Najib announced that Malaysia is adopting a voluntary national reduction indicator of up to 40% in terms of GDP emission intensity by 2020 compared with 2005 levels. This year, we have achieved more than 33% reduction in emissions intensity.

9. Diplomacy for science – facilitating international science cooperation, whether in pursuit of top-down strategic priorities for research or bottom-up collaboration between individual scientists and researchers. Science can be a bridge to communities where political ties are weaker, but to develop relationships in these areas, scientists may require diplomatic assistance, whether in contract negotiations, intellectual property agreements or dealing with visa regulations. Many countries have science attaches in their foreign missions and I hope the Malaysian government could create such a position in our missions abroad in the near future.

10. Science for diplomacy – using science cooperation to improve international relations between nations. Like other countries, Malaysia has numerous scientific cooperation agreements. The Info-Wall outside this conference room depicts among many, our relationships with Japan, South Korea, the UK and the US. Perhaps, the most current and the most exciting of all, is the Malaysia-British cooperation known in this country as the Newton-Ungku Omar Science Fund. This initiative facilitates a major movement of interactions among scientists and scientific institutions

Page | 3 between our two countries. This would not have happened without the unequivocal support and endorsement of Prime Minister Najib at the time when I presented our case to the Economic Council which he chaired.

Ladies and gentlemen,

11. I have gone to some considerable length discussing about science diplomacy and the leadership role played by the Prime Minister. It is only through his interest and commitment that the above could happen.

12. But I would be amiss if I do not relate to you that the Prime Minister puts a premium on the domestic or national ramification of science and innovation. In particular: on the added-value of science in the people’s economy. In an indirect way, his challenge to me as his Science Advisor is how could innovation, apart from providing solutions to problems of water, energy, healthcare, food security and biodiversity loss, could create jobs for the rakyat and increase their income.

13. To meet these simple but very challenging instructions, we first need to jumpstart the governance of science in this country. There is currently overlapping and duplicative roles of the myriad of innovation bodies in the country.

14. The Prime Minister has given us his instructions. In his remarks during the 11th Khazanah Megatrends Forum last week, he wanted the innovation bodies in this country be streamlined with a view to develop a leaner structure.

15. Under the Science-to-Action Initiative which the Prime Minister launched two years ago, we are on the cusp of a major transformation of science in this country, involving its governance, the participation of the private sector and the buy-in of the people. We hope our rhetoric could be translated into action beginning with the 11th Malaysia Plan starting next year.

Page | 4

Ladies and gentlemen,

16. I trust I have given you a snapshot of the state of science diplomacy, with special reference to Malaysia.

17. I look forward to hearing the views of colleagues within the APEC economies during our two-day meeting.

18. On behalf of the delegates, I reiterate our appreciation to the Prime Minister for making time to officiate our meeting.

Terima kasih.

Page | 5