KUALA LUMPUR JULY 4: The Malaysian Digital Economy has reached 22.6 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2021 and is expected to increase above the target of 25.5 per cent towards 2025.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said, to activate the national digital economy, a new frame work initiative known as Malaysia Digital or MD has been developed based on three principles namely flexibility, agility and relevancy.
Ismail said, MD via catalyst project or CATALYST (PEMANGKIN) will function holistically in transforming the digital economy ecosystem through three main strategies.
“The strategy among others is to help lead the digital adaptation among young entrepreneurs, companies and the people.
Secondly, to support the local technology companies to become “Malaysian Champion”-successful at the international level and thirdly to attract high impact investors,” Ismail said in his speech in conjunction with the launching of “Malaysian Digital ” in Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) here today.
The Prime Minister added, to ensure the implementation of MD is more effective the Cabinet Ministers have agreed for Communications and Multimedia Ministry (K-KOMM) to establish Malaysia Digital Coordination Committee or MD-CC to streamline the governance and its operation such as the MD Status via MD New Frame Work Status.
The Prime Minister said, the government has agreed to award the MD Status to six companies in the first group namely Bytedance System Sdn. Bhd.; Bridge Data Centres Malaysia (III) Sdn. Bhd.; GDS IDC Services (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.; Abbott Laboratories (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.; Aceteam Connect Sdn. Bhd. and Peninsula Apex Technologies Sdn. Bhd.
“I am confident the MD will lead more high impact programmes, direct and immediate impact especially to the Malaysian Family. PEMANGKIN in the agriculture sector had launched 10 apprentice projects Digital AgTech to help farmers adapt with digital technology to increase productivity and help reduce the operational costs,” Ismail said.
Ismail added, in the earlier stage, two PEMANGKIN had been introduced under MD namely DE Rantau programme and Digital Trade. The DE Rantau is aimed to make Malaysia as the selected Nomad Digital Hub in this region via the increase in digital usage, professional digital mobility, and tourism activities nationwide.
The Prime Minister also stressed that the COVID-19 pandemic had impacted the livelihood of the people and also affected the national economy; however the government via several initiatives had recovered the national economy.
He added, among the sectors that had grown rapidly is the e-commerce that had contributed 11.5 per cent to GDP in 2020 and 8.5 per cent in 2019.
“The value of national e-commerce transactions is RM1 trillion for the first time in 2021, increased 21.8 per cent compared to 2020. The Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) as a body leading the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) since 1996 had successfully shaped the national digital ecosystem continuously,” Ismail said. –Malaysia World News
