Foundation Out To Spur Grassroots Innovation
KUALA LUMPUR, April 17 (Bernama) -- When the situation calls for it, trust the farmer's ingenuity to make life better.
This is the kind of handiness shown by a farmer in Johor who created a machine, using parts from old cars, that has the capacity of transporting up to three tonnes of oil palm fruits.
The machine attracts curiosity among farmers in the state who now want use it to help increase their productivity.
This is among 80 innovations displayed at the website of the Malaysian Foundation for Innovation (YIM) at www.yim.my.
YIM chief executive officer Dr Raslan Ahmad said YIM encourages innovation among the people.
"We will go throughout the country in search of grassroots innovations and display them in events organised by YIM. We will also provide assistance in commercialising these innovations," he said.
This was in line with the wishes of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak who wanted to see innovativeness among the masses and not limited to the technological or scientific fraternity.
The society often thinks that innovation involves laboratory and complex technology, he said.
However, it can also come from a much simpler setting provided there is creativity, he added.
"Innovation should be moved on multiple fronts; it is our mission to encourage innovations among the youth, women, people with disabilities, rural communities and student," he said.
Dr Raslan said the foundation would list down all the innovations and creations on its website to promote them among companies which might want to explore their commercial viabilities.
Dr Raslan said the foundation targets to list 500 innovations from throughout the country.
"We are confident that we can achieve this because the culture of innovation is actually entrenched among the people," he said.
An Asean youth forum on creativity and innovation is now taking place in Labuan, starting yesterday, to promote innovation among the young people.
Some 100 youths from 10 Asean countries as well as from Japan, China and South Korea are taking part in the event.
The forum outcome would be tabled at the Kuala Lumpur Innovation Forum in November, to be discussed among international innovation experts, he said. - Bernama
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