Malaysia: The next ICT hub?

• By Fadzilah Hj. Muhamad
• Published 28 October 2008

The Malaysian government agency  with the responsibility for progressing the country’s ICT-driven transformation is the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC).

MDeC is mandated to drive the development of the ICT sector via the national ICT initiative MSC Malaysia (formerly known as the Multi-media Super Corridor). Developed in 1996, MSC Malaysia recognises companies involved with multimedia and communications products, solutions, services, research and development.

Key player

“As the custodian of MSC Malaysia, MDeC oversees the development of the ICT sector which takes place on many different levels, involving the government, industries and with socio-economic impact,” says MDeC’s chief executive officer, Dato’ Badlisham Ghazali.

“The goal is to ultimately position Malaysia as a global ICT hub and a key player in a knowledge economy.”

Together with the softening economy, Badlisham sees other challenges in the way of Malaysia’s ambition. These include the variance in ICT adoption between urban and rural areas, raising community awareness of the benefits of using technology in everyday life and business, plus the need to address the shortage of local IT skills.

“As the government agency driving ICT development in this country, we facilitate initiatives and recommend policies to address these challenges,” he says. 

Malaysia has hosted international ICT events and has a determined strategy to offer government services online.

WCIT 2008

Badlisham says the 16th World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) 2008, sometimes referred to as the ‘Olympics of IT’, held in Kuala Lumpur from 18–22 May, was a notable ICT achievement. “WCIT involved 12 other related events, the largest ever group of ICT meetings. The congress garnered more than US$10 million of sponsorship in cash and in kind, which signifies the level of commitment from both the public and private sectors in driving development for the local Malaysian ICT sector.”

Level of interest

The WCIT also registered the largest-ever number of registered delegates and participants in the global event’s history, demonstrating, says Badlisham, the significant level of interest and support of ICT by Malaysians and the general community. “The 16th WCIT 2008 has, without a doubt, successfully placed Malaysia on the global ICT map, enabling local companies to showcase their capabilities in producing world-class solutions and accepted by global corporations,” the MDeC CEO says.

“Furthermore the event exhibits the government’s continued support for growing the ICT industry and to continuously bring improvements to the society.”

E-government plans

Badlisham says Malaysia’s world e-government (EG) ranking has “improved immensely” this year. Out of 198 countries, Malaysia has progressed in the Global E-Government Report, which is produced annually by US-based Brown University, from the position of 157 (2005), 36 (2006), 25 (2007) to 11 (2008), steady and progressive improvement.

The MDeC CEO cites Malaysia’s human resource management information system (HRMIS), as a good example of the government’s use of IT.

“HRMIS is an integrated, technology-enabled HR system for the Malaysian public service, incorporating global best practices in HR,” says Badlisham. “This enables the public service to successfully deal with the challenges of today’s knowledge economy.”

Green future

“Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi spoke recently of the need for us to look into the ways ICT can facilitate progress in the agricultural sector and also management of energy resources,” Badlisham says.

“Two new MSC Malaysia flagship applications will be considered in agriculture and in managing energy resources, taking a  lead role in promoting innovation, which is set to become part of our national culture with support from the Malaysian government through investments in key infrastructure.”

E-government services and plans

Electronic Services: Aimed at providing quality efficient services for citizens. The key e-services portal is www.myeg.com.my

Electronic Labour Exchange: For labour market information, as supervised by the Ministry of Human Resource.

E-Syariah: A case-management system integrates the processes related to management of cases for the Syariah Courts, the religious legal system.

MyKad: The Malaysian national ID smart card allows the use of various software applications on a single platform.

Telehealth: Allows the national healthcare system to become more integrated and accessible. The Telehealth Flagship Application comprises Continuing Professional Development (CPD), Lifetime Health Record (LHR), the MyHEALTH portal, and Teleconsultation (TC).

SOURCE :
http://newscentre.msc.com.my/articles/778/1/Malaysia-The-next-ICT-hub-/Page1.html