The transition towards a more digitised nation has proven to be a necessity that needs to be accelerated in lieu of the current situation. With businesses requiring digitalising and the arrival of new digital solutions, policies will need to reflect the change in landscape as well.

In Malaysia, the introduction of JENDELA and MyDIGITAL are among the latest initiatives taken to reflect the urgency we see in the changing times. These initiatives are also considered to be concrete foundations for the country’s digital economy growth.

The events of 2020 have also undoubtedly emphasised the importance of accessibility in connectivity. During the first lockdown that took place in March 2020, telcos saw increased demand for quality internet connectivity.

In order to tackle this, the government rolled out JENDELA with Phase 1 already in motion. This phase will see telco players shut down 3G, expand the current 4G nationwide footprint and get their network to be future ready for 5G.

Additionally, businesses requiring the best quality now in order to successfully utilise their digital solutions will be able to benefit from these initiatives. And to reflect these solutions and their success, this supplement will be featuring different solutions by different players.

Readers will be given an insight to what it takes to digitalise their business with Celcom’s committed solutions. Ranging from various initiatives. Celcom Chief Executive Officer Idham Nawawi speaks to us on why there is no better time than now to make that digital leap.

He also shares with us on the journey the telco has undertaken and how it plans on contributing to Malaysia digital journey in years to come. On the other hand, we have a list of contributors who have penned their thoughts on a variety of topics, ranging from providing the best education for the future workforce to creating the right smart cities for Malaysia.

Key sectors such as financial and business services, technology, media and telecommunication, and manufacturing will already be facing a labour shortage by 2030. The unrealised revenues for these three sectors alone are estimated at more than RM7 billion. Lack of globally competitive talent will also hurt our firms. They will be left vulnerable in an ultra-globalised, hyper-competitive world, says Shahnaz Al-Sadat, Chairperson of LeapEd Services.

She also highlights that unlike traditional education approaches, Education 3.0 promotes 21st century skills and prepare them for the jobs of tomorrow. Education 3.0 brings together creativity, outcomes, critical thinking, big data, personalisation and much more which could turn children into builders instead of consumers, and even job creators instead of job seekers.

Sharing their thoughts on the building blocks for Malaysian businesses’ digital transformation, TM One unveils the challenges faced by many and how as a corporate they would be able to help these businesses to overcome and flourish even bigger.

Increased digitalisation also exposes businesses to online threats. TM One further points out that cybersecurity remains an ongoing challenge to digital ecosystems, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic as more people are working remotely.

This is proven as cyberattacks have also become more sophisticated with the emergence of automation and artificial intelligence (AI). Enterprises, often lacking adequate security skills and mitigation procedures, are suffering massive financial and reputational losses.

With thoughts and initiative from the private sector, you will find the Prime Minister’s Economic Department pen down a few words to share their aspirations and ambition for the country’s digital transition.