KUCHING: Teachers will remain indispensable in shaping future-ready generations despite the rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI), said Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian.
He said while AI has transformed education and become an increasingly powerful learning tool, teachers continue to play an irreplaceable role in nurturing values, critical thinking, creativity and sustainability awareness among students.
“AI is increasingly competing with us, but teachers still play a very important role in the classroom by teaching sustainability, environmental education, circular economy, and community engagement.
“These are essential not only for Sarawak’s nation-building but also for strengthening ASEAN as a region,” he said when officiating at the ASEAN Guru Innovation Challenge (ASEAN-GIC) 2026 Award and Closing Ceremony at TEGAS Digital Village today.
The programme, organised by Fly Technology Agriculture Sdn Bhd (WormingUp) under the empowering ‘Youth Across ASEAN (eYAA): Cohort 6’ initiative, brought together teachers and youth volunteers from across Southeast Asia to develop innovative education projects focused on sustainability, STEM, digital learning, and community development.
Dr Sim said the initiative reflected the kind of regional collaboration needed to prepare future generations for challenges such as climate change, digitalisation and AI.
“We want Sarawak to be future-ready. We want to develop future-ready talent through innovation, sustainability and digital transformation, and teachers are at the heart of that journey,” he said.
Drawing from his own experience as a professor and cardiologist, Dr Sim cited the Sarawak Heart Centre, established 25 years ago, which has since served more than 300,000 Sarawakians and trained about one in every 10 cardiologists in Malaysia, while also producing specialists now serving in leading hospitals in Indonesia.
“The Sarawak Heart Centre is now among the top 100 heart centres in the Asia-Pacific.
“It proves that even from the jungles of Borneo, we can achieve international excellence,” he said.
Besides the award presentation, the closing ceremony featured an exhibition of sustainability projects, educational resources, and community-driven solutions developed by participating teams throughout the programme.
Dr Sim said the greatest achievement of ASEAN-GIC was not the competition itself, but the long-term partnerships, exchange of ideas and friendships established among educators across Southeast Asia.
“The connections you build today and the ideas you share will create lasting impact across ASEAN,” he said.
