No cause for alarm with Industrial Revolution 4.0

GEORGE TOWN: Workers should not be unduly alarmed with the emergence of the Industrial Revolution 4.0 where automation and robotics takes centre stage.
Penang Skills Development Corporation (PSDC) chief executive officer Muhamed Ali Hajah Mydin said blue collar workers should not fear this change, as new jobs would be created in this era of high-tech employment.
"People are now worried that they would lose jobs even with us telling them that there are alternatives, said Muhamed Ali.
For those who cannot cope, Muhamed Ali proposed that the displaced group be given utmost attention in retraining programmes and entrepreneurship.
He said this when accompanying PKR vice-president and Permatang Pauh MP Nurul Izzah Anwar on a tour of the PSDC campus in Bayan Lepas.
Also in her entourage were state executive councillor Datuk Abdul Halim Hussein, Kebun Bunga assemblyman Jason Ong and Batu Uban assemblyman A. Kumaresan.
Later, Nurul Izzah said that the possible loss of jobs would not create fear if the authorities have a proper monitoring system to offer alternative jobs via retraining and honing entrepreneurship skills.
"We cannot allow the fear of losing jobs to prevent us from moving up the technical (skills) ladder," said Nurul Izzah, who spoke of the need to embrace the challenges emerging from the Industrial Revolution 4.0.
She also promised to inform the federal government of the need to be ready for such challenges, stressing that there is a need for a pragmatic approach to take root.