Digital Economy To Meet Or Exceed Projected 25.5 Pct Contribution To GDP By End-2025 - Gobind

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 27 (Bernama) -- As Malaysia continues to attract investors, Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo is confident that the digital economy will meet, or even exceed, the projected 25.5 per cent contribution to Malaysia’s gross domestic product (GDP) by the end of 2025.

He said Malaysia’s business-friendly policies and the strengthening of the ringgit against the US dollar in recent times have contributed to the positive outlook on Malaysia’s economy, further encouraging the inflow of investment funds.

“Thus, the shift from the contact centre agenda towards customer experience through digitalisation and innovation is extremely necessary. 

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“This (contact centre) industry – each and every one of you – will play a huge role in boosting Malaysia’s digital economy,” he said in his speech at the Contact Centre Association of Malaysia (CCAM) Gala Dinner & Awards Night here today.

As such, Gobind said the Ministry of Digital, through its agency, the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), will continue to assist CCAM and its members in pushing this customer experience agenda forward.

The minister said the government already has several initiatives in place, such as the Malaysia Digital (MD) initiative that offers fiscal and non-fiscal incentives to new and existing companies to expand their operations in Malaysia.

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“I’m sure by now, most of you are aware of the newly launched Forest City Special Financial Zone (FCSFZ), as mentioned by our Finance Minister II (Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan) about six days ago.

“The special financial zone will provide special tax breaks and incentives designed to develop the FCSFZ into a preferred regional financial hub, focusing on global business services, fintech and foreign payment system operators.

“This is another opportunity for CCAM members to explore or expand your operations in this region,” he said.

On the talent front, Gobind said there’s the MD Workforce initiative, a fully incentivised training programme to encourage locals to acquire the right digital skills that are in high demand.

“This initiative has seen 1,300 people trained between Jan 1, 2024 and Sept 6, 2024,” he said.

Gobind said there is also the Premier Digital Tech Institutions (PDTI) initiative, which brings together key players from industry, universities, and other educational institutions to bridge the gap between industry demand and local talent supply.

In addition to developing local talents, he said the Ministry of Digital and its agencies will continue to assist industry members with their human resources needs, particularly in the area of foreign knowledge workers, as and when necessary. 

“Public-private partnerships are key to enhancing the ecosystem. By understanding the pain points and challenges of the industry player, we can come up with better support and policies to create a vibrant customer experience environment in Malaysia,” he added.

-- BERNAMA