Malaysia has its own recipe of building a long-term success as an exporter for the global demand in software and services. Since the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) was conceptualized in 1996, Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) has been tasked to develop this unique corridor into a regional operation hub and as a home for global ICT companies to do their research and development of new technologies.
Malaysia has many selling points that has made it emerged as one of the top hub of excellence for global ICT investment. It has the reputation of having the ability to cultivate the required skilled workforce and providence of top class infrastructure. Malaysia has rich talent pool and such workforce has been tapped by most high value project across the region. One of its very unique attractions is the multiracial community in Malaysia. This multiethnic environment grooms the workforce capable of handling multicultural team and project at global level and has made it uniquely position as the most versatile global call center with its multilingual workforce. Apart from English and the common ethnic languages, a growing prominence in the increasing proficiency in the Japanese and Korean language has given Malaysia an added advantage over traditional SSO hubs.
The ICT spending in Malaysia by 2010, is expected to hit RM22 billion, where software and services spending is forecasted to grow at 8% and 15% CAGR respectively. (Currently at 13.5 billion) The industry contributes to 3.5% of the total workforce in Malaysia which totaled to more than 200,000 professionals. A typical monthly salary for a data entry clerk starts as low as US$250, whilst for a fresh graduate IT engineer, it is about US$ 800.
The Government procurement policies continue to pay off. Malaysia has been one of the early adopters to put in place many regulations. Acts including Digital Signature, Computer Crimes and Telemedicine has been in force as early as 1997. Under the Bill of Guarantee, a company that acquired MSC status has the freedom of ownership, employment of knowledge workers, capital sources and import duty exemptions for multimedia equipments.
With a vision to transform Malaysia into a knowledge-based economy by 2020, Malaysia has amplified continued investment in world-class infrastructure along the Multimedia Super Corridor, with further incentives for corporations choosing to locate in Malaysia and additional policies to open up the labor pool and deepen English language and technical skills throughout the population of 24 million. This has made Malaysia increasingly prominence as a choice for shared services and outsourcing (SSO) hotbed in the region
Malaysia was being ranked as the 3rd most attractive location in the world for offshore outsourcing by McKinsey and AT Kearney in 2005.
For cost of doing business, cyber laws and ICT statistics in Malaysia, here are some useful links.
ASOCIO: www.asocio.org
MSC: www.msc.com.my
MITI: http://www.miti.gov.my
MEWC: http://www.ktak.gov.my
MCMC: http://www.mcmc.gov.my
MOSTI: http://www.mosti.gov.my/
(The Author is Lucas Lim, ASOCIO Sec-Gen, penned after the inaugural PIKOM Software and Services Showcase, PS3 in Kuala Lumpur in July. Views are personal)
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