PRIME Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad wants Malaysia to explore and embrace new technologies so it can have its own drone and artificial intelligence industry.

He said to achieve the status of a fully developed country, it was important for Malaysia to become a producer.

“I hope that Malaysia will not continue to be users of other people’s products.

“We are very backward in that sense because we like to just use things that are invented and produced by other people. We didn’t do the things ourselves,” he said in his speech at the launch of Malaysia UAV Development Association’s laboratory at the Australian International School Malaysia in Seri Kembangan today.

The prime minister said Malaysia should emulate China in embracing technologies that enable the country to become a big producer of many products.

“I noticed that China not only wants to use products from other countries, but they want to produce the products themselves. They have been able to produce all kinds of products which we used to import from other countries.

“They are now into producing airplanes, rockets, satellites, sending people into space and other things as well… If China can do that, I don’t see why Malaysia cannot,” he added.

Tay said Muda is working on developing the first Malaysian-made drone and that the first model is expected to be ready in the first quarter of next year. – Bernama, November 11, 2018.