Speech by
YB GOBIND SINGH DEO
MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND MULTIMEDIA
Opening of IDEAGEN Centre of Excellence
Wisma Conlay, Selangor
4 October 2019
[Salutations]
His Excellency Charles Hay
British High Commissioner to Malaysia
Clifford Bebb
Deputy Country Director of Department for International Trade in Malaysia
Ben Dorks
CEO of Ideagen
A very good morning and Salam Harapan to all of you.
- I am delighted to be here today to witness the opening of Ideagen’s Centre of Excellence in Kuala Lumpur as part of its global strategy and vision, and I have been informed this will create up to 200 technology jobs.
- As the Fourth Industrial Revolution is upon us, smart technologies are disrupting most if not all industries and sectors. New roles and jobs are emerging and they are related to Data Science, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Software Development, Internet of Things, Digital Transformation, Cybersecurity, Digital Marketing, Games, Animation, Creative Multimedia and so on.
- These technologies are fundamentally changing how businesses and the global economy operate. Therefore, we must adapt and innovate, and understand the opportunities or threats they might present to our organisations, our careers, and society on the whole.
- On my working trip to the UK in February this year – together with senior officials from the Malaysian Multimedia and Communications Commission (MCMC), Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) and the National Cyber Security Agency (NACSA) – we had a series of high-level meetings with the UK government, industry and academia, to share best practices and explore collaborations in these fields.
- I am most pleased to see our constructive engagement bear fruit, which then led to my announcing on 30 th April that five UK technology organisations, including Ideagen, were planning to invest in Malaysia – reinforcing the UK’s long-term commitment to Malaysia as a key trade and investment partner. I see this investment as a reflection of Malaysia’s attractiveness as an investment destination and as a springboard to the ASEAN market.
- I am impressed by the reputation and prominence of Ideagen as a supplier of risk management software to companies in highly-regulated sectors such as aviation, banking and life sciences. I am told its clients include seven out of 10 of the UK’s top accounting firms and three-quarters of the world’s biggest pharma organisations.
- The increased cooperation in the areas of technology and digital economy between the UK and Malaysia is key as Malaysia is Britain’s second largest market in ASEAN. In 2018, Britain’s exports to Malaysia totalled GBP 2.4 billion while its imports from Malaysia were valued at GBP 2.4 billion.
- The investment of more UK tech companies to Malaysia highlights their confidence that we are moving in the right direction. This collaboration is not only crucial for Malaysia’s economic growth but it will also spur innovation and productivity.
- I am positive that this new commitment by UK tech companies will create many possible win-win situations and unlock synergies that will result in increasing trade and improve technology-related business for both countries.
- This is a great shot in the arm for tech development and growth in Malaysia and may this signal the start of more significant and strategic investments that are vital for our nation’s digital transformation agenda.
- I wish to thank all of you for being here today at this auspicious event and I hope that we will continue to see more fruitful collaborations and greater synergy between UK and Malaysian technology companies and the business sector in general, which will bode well for the economies of both our countries.
Terima kasih and have a great day.