Malaysia poised to compete in offshoring market
Looks like this economic giant is determined to keep its head above the turbulent outsourcing waters.
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Wednesday that the nation will seek to "lower the cost of business to remain competitive as one of the region's top outsourcing centres and bolster growth in its eight-year-old high-tech zone."
This high-tech zone is the Multimedia Super Corridor, is "a dedicated 15 X 50 km Corridor, stretching from the Petronas Twin Towers in the north to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in the south; and encompasses Cyberjaya (the Technology Core) and Putrajaya (the new administrative capital of Malaysia)."
The MSC is referred to as Malaysia's "Silicon Valley," and according to Abdullah, the government is exerting maximum effort in ensuring its development. "We cannot run away from competition. We have invested a lot and we must continue to do all we can to attract the best brains, the best talent to be involved in this industry.
"Malaysia must move quickly and take advantage of this opportunity to build a stronger brand name for itself around its offshore capabilities," Abdullah said in a keynote address at a two-day regional outsourcing conference.
The MSC comprises seven flagship applications, designed to "facilitate the development of the country towards becoming a key player in the Information Age":
- Electronic Government
- Smart Schools
- Tele-Health
- Research & Development Clusters
- Multi-Purpose Card
- E-Business
- Technopreneur Development
A report published by US-based consultancy firm AT Kearney earlier this year identifies Malaysia as the third most desirable location for offshore outsourcing in the world, and underlines the great priority its government gives to its information and communication technology (ICT) sector.
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