GEORGE TOWN: Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng on Friday, April 16 announced the key Penang Science Council (PSC) task force members, with leading industrialists joining the council to spearhead the five pillars.

Last week, Lim announced one of Penang's pioneer multi-national corporation (MNC) Motorola Technology Sdn Bhd represented by its managing director TT Yew would head the sustainable education and learning pillar.

This pillar is to renew interest in science and technology amongst the young and students through talks by renowned entrepreneurs, competitions, quizzes and exhibitions in Penang.

Lim announced the other industrialists who would head the other four pillars.

Datuk SH Wong (chairman of the Malaysian American Electronics Industry)
The nurturing industry pillar will plan to establish a Science Tech centre to showcase Penang’s rich history of success in inventions and innovations in its 35 years of industrialisation to spur new inventions.

Mini Circuits represented by chairman and president Kelvin Kiew
The mentoring scientific entrepreneurs pillar will provide a platform of guidance, opportunity and funding through seed money to commercialise their ideas and inventions.

B Braun Medical Industries Sdn Bhd represented by general manager of Human Resources Cynthia Ooi, general manager of research and development Patrick Chng and executive of human resource Kellie Kueh
The life sciences and medical health Pillar will nurture the young to be interested in the field of life sciences and to know more about "sunrise" industries in Penang.

Intel Malaysia
The innovation and research pillar will continue Penang’s competitive advantage of human talents who have a proven track record as an outsourcing centre, sophisticated supply chain network and research and innovation facilities which includes funding to encourage creative ideas and new inventions.

Lim said there was also participation from top-notch companies not based in Penang like IBM, CISCO and many others.

"It is important that such a council be led by industry captains and supported by the fellow peers from the industry as the PSC will play an important role in generating interest in science and technology amongst the young.

"The PSC will be supported by these five key task force pillars driven entirely by the industry and with minimal intervention from the state government. Today’s announcement is critical as it will allow the team leaders to start working on formulating plans and directions for the PSC," Lim said at a press conference.

The PSC Task Force will be led by Lim and the team leaders for the pillars are supported by the Secretariat of the PSC, Agilent Technologies Sdn Bhd.

BizWise Consulting will support Agilent through logistics where key pillar members will use BizWise’s office located at the Krystal Point Corporate Park in Bayan Lepas.

Lim expressed confidence that the objective of promoting the interest of science and technology amongst the young could be further enhanced with the involvement of industry key players within the PSC.

"We are confident that PSC will set the right directions for Penang as PSC is well placed to see the market and global trends within the industry.

"We will like to encourage SMEs, MNCs and academicians to come forward and join PSC so that they can contribute ideas, time and funding to make PSC successful," he added.