Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Chang Lih Kang said Malaysia needs to strengthen its technology ecosystem by nurturing talent from a young age to meet rising demand for skilled workers driven by artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies in the next five to 10 years. Speaking at an event in Ipoh yesterday, he noted that technology skills development initiatives currently remain largely focused on those aged between 18 and 40, with no specific government initiatives targeting younger children in areas such as AI and robotics. Chang said the Education Ministry is looking into the school syllabus, while his ministry focuses on out-of-classroom programmes like Techlympics and Minggu Sains Negara (National Science Week). The government is also expanding Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to include coding, robotics and AI courses, some of which have already been implemented. He welcomed private sector programmes for younger children to complement the government’s current focus on those aged 18 and above. Chang stressed that Malaysia needs to address its shortage of skilled talent, saying, "Talent is the main difficulty we are facing," as the country pushes its technology ecosystem forward.