Science and technology applications transformed M'sia - Nancy

As such, the minister in the Prime Minister's Department said the people should continue its mastery for the country to progress further, particularly, to become an industrialised and high income nation by 2020.

She said this when officiating at the Sabah/Sarawak leg of the famous Famelab Competition, the biggest science communication competition in the world, at the Swinburne University of Technology, Sarawak Campus here today.

Of the seven individuals competing, four are Swinburne's postgraduate students.

The competition tests the competitor's skills in breaking down science, technology, engineering and mathematics concepts in a creative and interesting three-minute presentation in layman's terms.

Nancy urged Malaysians not to merely be consumer of technology but also contributor to the country's scientific and technological advancement.

For this reason, she said all should contribute to enhancing and strengthening the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education.

"Our generation has to invest in and develop STEM education to ensure talents are groomed to the best of their ability.

"STEM education must be made full of fun, especially for the children in order to nurture their enthusiasm and passion in the long run," she said, adding that one of the ways to do this was for research and technology to be effectively communicated to them.

On the competition - a collaboration between the Malaysian Industry- Government Group for High Technology(MIGHT) and the British Council Malaysia - Nancy said it would go a long way in the country's quest to become a creative and innovative nation based on STI (Science, Technology and Innovation).