LOCAL TECH INDUSTRY THRILLED AS RISE CONFERENCE MOVES TO MALAYSIA

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 8 -- The National Tech Association of Malaysia (PIKOM) has collaborated with Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) and the Malaysian Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) to bring RISE, one of Asia’s largest tech conferences, to Malaysia for a three-year term from 2022 until 2024.

PIKOM chairman Danny Lee said the association and tech industry players are excited to see Malaysia being chosen to host such an important event against the rest of the countries worldwide.

He said Malaysia has an advantageous position as it is in the central geographical location of ASEAN, with multicultural and multilingual tapestry, industry-ready talent pool, thriving startup ecosystem, and foreign direct investment-friendly policies, and legal systems which make it a magnet for foreign investors to strengthen their links with local enterprises.

"It demonstrates that the international tech community is confident in Malaysia’s location as a strategic, safe and investor-friendly destination for well-known information and communications technology (ICT) companies. 

"The industry feels it will certainly attract new investors and players in the digital field to the country amid the economic uncertainties," he said in a statement today.

RISE is one of the high-profile tech events that brings together the world’s tech founders, investors, startups, as well as multinationals with an attendance of over 16,000 from more than 100 countries around the world. It is scheduled to be held in March 2022. 

The event will also be joined by journalists from major global media outlets, and thousands of attendees, to create unparalleled networking potential.

Lee said over the past 25 years, a surge in digital investment in Malaysia's economy had paid off as multinational companies have come to recognise and trust the country’s potential in the digital economy industry.

In addition, according to the Department of Statistic Malaysia, in 2019 alone, Malaysia’s digital economy continued to be a key driver for growth, contributing 19.1 per cent to the national economy, up from 18.7 per cent in 2018, and is expected to exceed the projected target of 20 per cent by 2020. 

Meanwhile, MDEC chief executive officer Surina Shukri said the corporation was also actively encouraging the adoption of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) by promoting the use of emerging technologies such Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, Big Data Analytics, financial technology, blockchain, and drone technology in all industries to transform the country to an innovative digital economy. 

She said all these efforts would continue to bolster the digital economy to make it inclusive and achieve shared prosperity for all.

"It is a recognition of the great collaboration between the government, agencies and industry to build a leading digital economy in the region since 1996. 

"The landing of RISE in Kuala Lumpur will accelerate the achievement of Malaysia 5.0, where people are at the centre of 4IR technologies, driving shared prosperity and firmly establishing Malaysia as the Heart of Digital ASEAN," she said.

The bid to bring RISE to Malaysia received support from the Kuala Lumpur Society, Cradle Fund, Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Centre, Selangor Information Technology and Ecommerce Council, Malaysian Business Angels Network, Asian Oceanian Computing Industry Organisation, Malaysian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association, Malaysian Technology Development Corporation, Cyberview, Vynn Capital, PitchIn, WTF Accelerator, Nexea Angels, and many more industry partners across sectors.

-- BERNAMA