Women Redefine Leadership In Malaysia's Digital Industry

By Nabilah Saleh

KUALA LUMPUR, March 25 (Bernama) -- As women assume a larger role in Malaysia’s digital economy, many are redefining leadership while balancing career ambition with everyday responsibilities, from managing households to leading teams in fast-moving technology environments.

The subject took centre stage at a recent forum titled “Balance of Scale: Career Growth vs Sustainability,” where women leaders from the technology sector shared insights on leadership, entrepreneurship and managing the pressures in a rapidly evolving workplace.

For Obit Smart Chain co-founder Jasmine Ng, the shift from managing tasks to shaping outcomes reflects how leadership evolves.

“In the early stage of your career, you’re measured by how much work you do. After a certain stage, you’re no longer measured by volume, but by the quality of your decisions,” she said.

Ng said effective leadership often means stepping back and creating the space for teams to perform, noting that developers, such as software engineers and technical specialists, are often more comfortable solving technical problems than communicating them to stakeholders.

“Developers hate talking to their bosses or doing presentations, so they rely on you to explain to stakeholders what the team is doing so they can work in peace,” she said.

The ability to bridge that gap between technical teams and decision-makers has become one of the defining responsibilities of leaders in the digital space today, she added.

MADCash Sdn Bhd Founder and Chief Executive Officer Dr Nuraizah Baharin, who left a corporate career to build her own start-up, views that transition as an opportunity to create workplaces that reflect personal values.

Having previously worked in multinational companies, she said smaller organisations often have the advantage of moving faster while maintaining a clearer sense of purpose.

“In my company, what we look for is inclusion and how we make sure that nobody is left behind. If you’re tired of your corporate life, you can always go and be an entrepreneur,” she said.

Beyond leadership and entrepreneurship, the discussion also touched on burnout, a reality increasingly familiar to professionals balancing demanding careers alongside family responsibilities.

U Mobile Head of Corporate Communications Esther Chang said the solution may lie less in chasing the idea of perfect balance and more in building reliable systems that make daily responsibilities manageable. 

“To make sure we don’t face burnout, we need to build systems around us. Women in tech are natural builders because we are already building systems as solutions for our daily lives,” she said.

Planning meals, organising schedules and managing family responsibilities may not appear technological, but the underlying logic of solving problems and creating efficient processes is remarkably similar, Chang added.

Meanwhile, Petronas Digital Sdn Bhd Custom Solutions Head Lisa Chan, who works closely with women entrepreneurs, recalled meeting women whose daily struggles extend far beyond corporate deadlines, highlighting the importance of support systems, whether through mentorship or community networks, particularly when navigating expectations surrounding work-life balance.

“The most important thing about preventing burnout is having someone who understands and does not judge you. There are times when you have to work very hard to advance your career, and there are times when you step back to focus on family,” she said.

According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), the female labour force participation rate reached a record 56.6 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2025.

Within the Information and Technology (ICT) sector, women now make up roughly one-third of the technology workforce, reflecting their growing role in Malaysia’s digital economy. 

-- BERNAMA