Experts

"We have talked enough; but we have not listened. And by not listening we have failed to concede the immense complexity of our society and thus the great gaps between ourselves and those with whom we seek understanding."

"Productive consultations between MIDA and key stakeholders in the defence industry such as the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF), the Technology Depository Agency (TDA) and the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) are necessary to formulate the Dasar Industri Pertahanan Negara. This helps to identify gaps in the defence industry ecosystems, capacity building for domestic players and enhancing the effectiveness of current initiatives, such as the Industrial Collaboration Programme, to ensure sustainable growth of the Malaysian defence industry."

"Now, how is this DWP different from previous defence policies? For one, the DWP offers a different strategy, one that is more holistic and covers all aspects of military power, domestic support and foreign relations. This approach involves rallying all layers of our government and society in dealing with issues related to national defence."

"There are those who say the First World War was chemical; the Second World War was nuclear; and the Third World War – God forbid – will be biological" - Sir William Stewart, the British Association for the Advancement of Science

"Organisations should also establish failsafe contingencies to safeguard their employees in the event a cyberattack takes down a firm’s ability to carry out financial transactions and pay wages. With so many firms becoming dependent on digital technology, it is advisable to prepare policies and protocols to deal with disruptions in the cyber domain."

"Monitoring and training workers had been a challenge for on-site workers as well, especially as skilled labour continues to erode. The pandemic brought on a sense of urgency around this issue especially as companies struggled to keep their operations going while ensuring that their workers remained safe from COVID19."

To better prepare ourselves for what could happen, and enhance future decision making, we need to broadly educate individuals who have an appreciation of subjects beyond S.T.E.M: like world history, psychology—and communications.

"A new technology or a new way of thinking in society doesn’t materialise overnight. During a crisis there is no time to invent entirely new technologies. Instead, a crisis propels existing solutions that were previously struggling to become relevant to prominence.”

"It is a sad fact that the most vulnerable in our societies need many public services at one time. Even sadder is the reality in which citizens who are poor and with limited education must navigate multiple bureaucratic structures with slow-moving processes."