Klang Valley to turn MSC

KUALA LUMPUR: The Klang Valley will be turned into a Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) in stages, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. 

He said details of the plan were being worked out and more cybercentres would be rolled out quickly in the Klang Valley. 

“The Klang Valley is the most important area in terms of economic development in the area of industry and commercial activities,” he told reporters after chairing the 19th MSC Implementation Council Meeting on Information and Communication Technology at the Palace of the Golden Horses here yesterday. 

Abdullah said the Government would continue enhancing efforts in information communications technology, and e-education was being carried out in schools. 

Earlier, in his opening remarks, Abdullah said that as part of efforts to go global the MSC had been rebranded as MSC Malaysia and marketing efforts stepped up, including through the opening of MSC Malaysia offices in India, China and Saudi Arabia. 

EFFORTS RECOGNISED: Abdullah presenting the Prime Minister’s “Best of the Best” Award to Select-TV Sdn Bhd chief executiveofficer Goh Chung Sen at the MSC-APICTA 2006 awards presentation ceremony at the Palace of the Golden Horses in KualaLumpur yesterday. Also present are (from left) Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, Science, Technologyand Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jamaludin Mohd Jarjis, Energy, Water and Communications Minister Datuk Seri Dr LimKeng Yaik and Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan.

“I am pleased to say that in the last 12 months we were able to attract global icons to MSC Malaysia such as Al-Jazeera, Dell and TRW, all of which have made Malaysia their global centres,” he said. 

He said the Malaysian shared services and outsourcing (SSO) industry had continued on its upward path, and Malaysia was recognised as the third-most attractive destination in the world for SSO. 

“We must quickly embark on programmes that will not only help Malaysia retain the top rankings, but ensure that we can capitalise on these rankings to tap a larger portion of the global SSO economic cake,” he said. 

The Prime Minister said the Government needed to do more to enhance domestic and foreign investment, particularly in new and emerging technologies. 

“We need to ensure that we offer a conducive environment in which companies can operate, one that is sufficiently differentiated from other technology centres,” he said. 

At the same press conference, Abdullah said he was satisfied with the current strength of the ringgit.  

“The exchange rate is at RM3.54 (to US$1) today. I think it is good. We hope that we will be able to maintain the strength of our economy,” he said.  

“The ringgit will react, like all other currencies, when the economy is doing well.”  

When asked whether rise in the KL Composite Index, which had exceeded 1,100 points, would be sustainable, the Prime Minister said: “It cannot be speculative as it is going up slowly and progressively.  

“If it is fluctuating like a yo-yo, then nobody trusts it and you know it is very speculative. In our case, the index has been improving slowly and progressively.”  

On InventQjaya Sdn Bhd, which had been ordered by the High Court to be wound up for owing the Government RM242mil, Abdullah said the Government had to make sure that it evaluated very carefully whatever proposals the it wanted to support.  

Earlier, Abdullah presented the Prime Minister's “Best of the Best” Award to Select-TV Sdn Bhd at the MSC-APICTA 2006 awards presentation ceremony.  

The MSC-APICTA had 17 categories which covered various areas of industries and applications.  

The awards programme was initiated by the Multimedia Development Corporation seven years ago as a means to reward the outstanding achievements of students, researchers, technopreneurs, small- and medium-sized ICT firms, and companies with MSC Malaysia Status for their innovations.