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Malaysia on
e-accelerator
This south-east Asian country of 22.6 million with 83 per cent literacy, which was created in 1963 and has a multi-racial population, is moving over from its traditional dependence on rubber and tin to IT and knowledge. For attempting this leap into the unknown, it is using its industrial, agricultural and petroleum revenues to help make the jump. From mere IT (information technology), it has got transformed to ICT (information and communication technology). At one level there is also a push towards ICT-for-D (ICTs for Development). It might possibly not end here but the new mix thrown up by this alphabet-soup now is KICT (Knowledge Information and Communication Technologies). To spread the message and widen the impact, no opportunity is spared. For instance, songs telecast promoting the needs of harnessing IT. Government funding is helping to create some showpiece projects, like the Multimedia Super Corridor. Called MSC, this project stresses the importance of creative multimedia, computer graphics and the entertainment sector as "value-adding components" to cut across entire industries. MSC hopes to play the role of an "engine of growth" in leapfrogging Malaysia into the knowledge-based economy". MSC, it is argued, could play the role of a hub in creating the ideal multimedia environment that attracts world-class companies. This would both enhance domestic productivity and 'create value from information-age businesses.' It could then catalyse a "highly competitive cluster" of Malaysia multimedia and IT companies that "become world-class over time." Economic Planning Unit deputy director general YM Raja Dato' Zaharaton Raja Zainal Abidin points to the ambitious Vision 2020, charted out by the high-profile Prime Minister, Dr Mahatir Mohammed. "Malaysians should not be mere consumers of technologies, but should also be able to contribute to the development of new technologies," Abidin argues. With this goal in mind, the Multimedia Super Corridor was set up some six years ago. This MSC aims to "create new sources of wealth" and also to "improve national productivity and technological competitiveness." NITA is the National IT Agenda, one of whose goals is to make Malaysia a knowledge-based society by the year 2020. The Multimedia Super-Corridor (MSC) is another project. DAGS is the Demonstrator Applicator Grant Scheme. Officials point out that any individual or institution can apply for grants for community-based IT projects of one to 2 million Ringitt. Take the Agriculture Knowledge Integrator System (AKIS, http://akisnet.com.my) that offers a Web-enabled management system designed to support the Malaysian national drive towards "technology-intensive agricultural practices." Cybercare (http://www.lion-cybercare.org) is another project aimed at building an 'electronic community' by connecting orphanages, home -administrators, the private and public sectors and non-governmental organisations.
e-Thalassaemia (www.tam.org.my) is a
partnership between paediatricians and the Malaysian Open-Source Group.
It connects all those connected with this serious ailment. It links
thalassaemic patients and their families, friends, medical personnel,
social workers, volunteers, researchers, members of the public and even
drum and medical suppliers. |
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FROM
a Third World country to a knowledge society in under two decades! Is it
possible? Malaysia dreams of it and believes can reach there by adopting
a route that relies on attracting hi-tech and talent, building its own
talent base and setting up the infrastructure that makes all this
possible.