YOUTHS MUST BUILD ‘EMPIRES OF THE MIND’ TO SHAPE MALAYSIA’S FUTURE - ZAMBRY

PUTRAJAYA, Nov 5 (Bernama) -- Youths must embrace creativity, innovation and knowledge to build ‘empires of the mind’ and drive Malaysia’s progress in a new era of ideas and imagination.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir said Malaysia’s shared journey of progress and resilience highlights the power of vision and creativity in building a stronger nation.

“Today, standing together once again in service of our beloved nation reminds me how ideas, when nurtured with imagination, discipline and purpose, can truly transform life and destiny,” he said on the second day of the Festival of Ideas (FOI) 2025 event held here today.

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Zambry said the world is witnessing a new era where the strength of nations is defined not by conquest or wealth but by knowledge, creativity and innovation.

“The world has seen the rise and fall of many empires built on conquest, wealth and power. (Sir) Winston Churchill once said: “The empires of the future will be the empires of the mind’,” he added.

He said today’s greatest resources are no longer found beneath the ground, but within the human mind, and that societies which invest in ideas will lead the future.

“We now live in the age of such an empire, where knowledge, creativity and innovation define the strength of nations,” he added.

Therefore, Zambry said gatherings like FOI, which is being held for the second year, are not mere ceremonial events but platforms for transformation — spaces where imagination takes shape and the seeds of tomorrow’s progress are planted.

He said history has shown that every great leap forward begins with a single idea to change lives and shape the course of humanity.

Citing world-changing discoveries, he said progress often begins with imagination and perseverance, from Marie Curie’s discovery of radiation to Alexander Graham Bell’s invention of the telephone and Thomas Edison’s light bulb that illuminated the world.

Zambry noted that Malaysia, too, has produced remarkable innovators whose contributions have left a mark on the world.

In Malaysia, we also celebrate our innovators and inventors. Dr Wu Lien-Teh, for instance, invented the first modern medical mask — not many people are aware that it was actually created by a Malaysian,” he said.

“In Malaysia, too, we celebrate our innovators and inventors. Dr Wu Lien-Teh, inventor of the first modern medical mask. Not many people are aware of that. It was actually invented by a Malaysian," he added.

Other local inventors include Muhd Razlan Dhamir Hamdan, founder of Aphelia Space, which develops wireless charging stations for satellites; Pua Khein-Seng, inventor of the world’s first single-chip USB flash drive; Iris Corporation, known for creating the world’s first electronic passport (e-passport); and Ganesh Kumar Bangah, who became the youngest chief executive officer of a public-listed company at the age of 23.

Zambry said FOI has become a regional platform for collaboration and innovation, with participation from ASEAN education leaders, including ASEAN secretary-general Dr Kao Kim Hourn, Indonesia’s Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology Brian Yuliarto, and the Philippines’ Commission on Higher Education chairperson Dr Shirley Castañeda Agrupis.

“ASEAN, with its youthful population, rich cultural heritage and immense economic promise, stands poised to become one of the world’s most dynamic regions. To realise that potential, we need ideas that unite and connect minds, institutions and nations,” he added.

The FOI Putrajaya 2025, which runs from Nov 4 until Nov 8, is expected to attract nearly 500,000 in-person visitors and about two million participants, including 1.5 million virtual attendees from around the world.

-- BERNAMA