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Boosted by the confidence that they gained from knowing that their efforts are welcomed by the top decision makers of the country, multinational companies have come to Malaysia under the MSC-banner and linked up with local SMEs. The result is a win-win partnership where Malaysian companies gain from the experience that their foreign partners bring, while the MNCs are able to leverage on Malaysia’s prime position in Asia as a springboard to the rest of the region.
Perhaps the best testament to how far Malaysia has come in this drive is that it will play host to the 16th World Congress on Information Technology in May of this year. The WCIT is without a doubt the largest and most prestigious ICT forum in the world, and WCIT 2008 will see 2,500 delegates from 80 countries, representing 90% of the world’s ICT industry converge on Kuala Lumpur. To have been chosen for this event is a huge honour indeed for the country, and credit should go to Dato’ Badlisham Ghazali - the CEO of MDEC who is also the Chairman of WCIT 2008. We had the pleasure of meeting Dato’ Badlisham recently, and his enthusiasm and belief in the event was certainly telling. Technology Business Review is certain that under his purview, Malaysia will be a most excellent host for this premier occasion.
WCIT 2008 will feature discussions on how ICT can impact society. It is important to note that businesses cannot run in a vacuum, that the decisions made by corporations have a wider implication on the rest of society and the same is true in reverse. And at present, one of the most important topics that need to be considered by everyone is that of the global climate crisis. We in Technology Business Review have said it before, and we will say it again - global warming is a clear and present danger that threatens the economic and social stability of the world. It is therefore vital that governments, corporations, and other parties come together to trash out a comprehensive plan to reduce our carbon footprint. This is why we have chosen to focus on the efforts in Bali to come up with a successor to the Kyoto Protocol. Yet as we can see, no matter how much talk there is, without a concentrated effort and commitment by nations - especially the major industrialised nations, it will all come to nought - as did Kyoto.
The world ended 2007 and began 2008 on a jittery note. Rising oil prices, which touched US$100 per barrel, credit crisis in Europe and the US, the threat of a US recession, and the falling value of the dollar. All these are expected to have consequences on the world economy. Recently, we see the effects of this negativity on worldwide markets as shares tumbled on bearish sentiments.
The question that needs to be asked is how will Malaysia face up to the challenges of the year? We are proud to present a comprehensive outlook of several industrial sectors from some of the leading players in their respective fields. This Eye on Malaysia is probably the most in-depth and detailed report forecast of the prospects of Malaysia in 2008, and is an indication of our continued commitment to bring you the best in business news in 2008, as we have done in 2007.
With elections on the way, a common occurrence would be the prevalence of the armchair critic. We always say that it is easy to be critical and point out what is wrong. It is however more difficult to show the possible solutions. This is why our managing editor, Beatrice Nirmala, has started the ball rolling with her article, “If I Were Prime Minister”, which details the plans and policies she
would implement were she the chief executive of the nation. Our question to you, our readers,
is what would you do if you were Prime Minister? We’ve already had the pleasure of
Dato’ Robert Teo of RSM Robert Teo, Kuan & Co. sharing his views with us, and
we welcome your participation in this feature.
Please
enjoy your read,
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