The Budget 2021 announced that RM6 billion is allocated to enhance Technical and Vocational Training Education (TVET)

Ep 7: Budget 2021: 6 Billion Reasons To Disrupt TVET

The Budget 2021 announced that RM6 billion is allocated to enhance Technical and Vocational Training Education (TVET). It was a robust discussion about what TVET must be in a world where the job market is screaming out for Digitally Savvy talent and those who are ready to work side by side with machines in the workforce.

<div>There is a growing need to
develop smarter talents that can ride along the wave of Industry Revolution
4.0.</div><div> </div>

EP 6: Attention Talent... Reboot or Get The Boot

There is a growing need to develop smarter talents that can ride along the wave of Industry Revolution 4.0.

Ep 6: Attention Talent... Reboot or Get The Boot

In a Covid-19 world, cloud adoption has become a necessity for businesses to survive. A cloud infrastructure provides businesses the accessibility and scalability to manage expanding – and changing – customer demand, while allowing businesses to still function during crises like the pandemic.Yet a number of businesses owners are still hesitant to migrate, with legitimate concerns on things like cost, complications and security.A recent webinar titled “<a href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=1158735564524676&amp;ref=watch_permalink" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Stay Calm and Just Cloud It!</a>” organised by MalaysiaKini and <a href="https://www.digitalnewsasia.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Digital News Asia</a>, hopes to reassure that the cloud isn’t as terrifying as it appears, even if it’s a little complex. The consensus, it seems, is that while cloud adoption and execution may be hampered by infrastructural limitations, the positives far outweigh the negatives.Panel speaker Chan Kee Siak, who is also CEO of cloud services provider <a href="https://www.exabytes.my/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Exabytes Network Sdn Bhd</a>, began by noting an aspect few businesses realise – that if you’re already using online tools like Facebook Live to promote a product, you’re already on the cloud.“In today’s world, without realising it, a lot of us – including MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) – are already on the cloud one way or another. Email services that we are using are part of the cloud. Storage services like iCloud and Dropbox are cloud services,” he says.What’s important, then is how companies can continue to embrace more and apply these tools to their day-to-day businesses to achieve better efficiency and, potentially, help reduce cost.Increased efficiencyPanellist Lim Chia Wei, who is executive director of <a href="https://www.mplusonline.com.my/macsecos/index.asp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Malacca Securities</a>, shares how cloud adoption has enhanced the operations of the 57-year old stockbroking company. When she first joined the family business in 2013, the company was in the midst of transformation, with an eye on online trading.Lim oversaw the operation. Initially, much of it was about streamlining manual processes and the backend, enhancing their systems part by part to support automation.More recently, however, they’ve begun on a more full-fledged approach in digitalisation. This includes utilising cloud-based work productivity applications, as well as introducing digital marketing. And then, of course, there is M+ Online, Malacca Securities’ online stock trading platform.“I feel that we can proudly say we have successfully transformed from a very traditional broker into a key online player in the industry,” she says.“I think [the company] is definitely more efficiently run,” Lim adds. When she first joined, the brokerage primarily dealt in manual processes with tonnes of paperwork. “With technology, we are able to introduce automation and scale our processes, and we don’t have to hire people to handle volumes.”Growing adoption, but not enoughThe good news is that more businesses are clearly moving towards cloud adoption in Malaysia, especially in wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Chan himself observes that even stalls and traditional mom-and-pop shops have started having their own e-commerce presence.At the same time, businesses that are already utilising basic cloud services are looking into more cloud-based tools, such as cloud-based payroll applications and CRM (customer relationship management).The third panellist, Chin Chee Siong, who is the national vice president of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://smemalaysia.org/">SME Association Malaysia</a>, offered a more complete perspective. His organisation recently released a survey on the status of Malaysian SMEs after the movement control order (MCO) period. The association surveyed 1,713 business owners on the measures they have taken after the MCO.It found that only 43% of the SMEs surveyed have embarked on digitalisation. While this number could be higher, what’s intriguing is that 69% of them considered the journey to be a success. 49% of those who haven’t started digitalisation expressed interest to do so, with a majority intending to begin in the next three to six months.“It is clear that most of them [SMEs] have taken the journey of digitalisation, but this is not enough,” stresses Chin, a past-chairman of Pikom as well.First stepsSo how should an enterprise begin on their cloud journey? For Lim, Malacca Securities’ journey was approached in a hybrid manner – it begun internally, with work processes shifting to cloud applications and the utilisation of productivity tools for their internal workflow. They used it even more during the MCO period, as it promotes collaboration even in a work-from-home environment.The gradual digitisation eventually expanded towards other departments such as human resources. Today, even Malacca Securities’ processes such as health benefits, utilise cloud applications.Lim, however, says that cost-effectiveness alone can’t be a key driver of cloud adoption. “You have to look at it from all perspectives – on how does it make your business more efficient, or how it increases time to market. All of these have to be part and parcel of the consideration process for companies who want to move to the cloud,” she advices.Chin says that digitalisation has its difficulties, but it mainly stems from enterprises not understanding the cost of digitalisation, with many perceiving it as expensive. However, as Chin notes, the cost of digitalisation is increasingly lower, especially compared to a few years prior.“For many cloud-based services, you don’t need to pay a large sum upfront – you just subscribe to the services that you need,” Chin notes. Essentially, the barrier of entry is now much lower.For Chan, the actual challenge in cloud adoption isn’t cost, nor is it a trust issue. “It’s about infrastructure and connectivity. Are they stable and fast enough to support the business and to adopt more cloud services. Infrastructure plays a very critical role.”Still, it can be said that the infrastructure in Malaysia for cloud adoption is more or less in place. If anything, Alibaba Cloud being the first international cloud player to set up their infrastructure in Malaysia is an indicator that the country has the ground work laid out. It’s also a showcase on the importance of a cloud infrastructure. According to Chan, it can be observed that Alibaba’s arrival is helping the further development of the whole e-commerce ecosystem that is heavily reliant on cloud infrastructure.There’s no denying that technical, infrastructure, and cost barriers are getting lower. Right now, with cloud adoption being a matter of survival, it’s best to keep calm and start on the digitalisation journey.Partner with us! Email enquiry@kini.events to find out more.Follow us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TopInTechMY" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">FB</a> to keep updated.

EP 5: Stay Calm & Just Cloud It (a partnership with Alibaba Cloud)

Speakers: <ul><li>Sharmini Ann Jacob, Executive Director, People &amp; Change Advisory at <a href="https://home.kpmg/my/en/home.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">KPMG</a> in Malaysia </li><li>Andre Sequerah, Managing Partner of <a href="https://www.scaleup.my/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ScaleUp Malaysia</a> </li><li>Rohan Krishnalingam, Group Chief Digital &amp; Technology Officer, <a href="https://www.rhbgroup.com/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">RHB Bank</a> </li></ul>Moderator: Karamjit Singh, CEO of <a href="https://www.digitalnewsasia.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Digital News Asia</a> Covid-19 has forced us to change the way we work and live.Recently, remote working tools have seen a boom in demand with the need for social distancing. Communication, meetings, and events have gone virtual. People and organizations alike are now adapting to this new way of working and its challenges. In this episode, the panel discussed and shared some user perspective insights, leading practices of remote working, the value, and the rise of dependency in this technology.Partner with us! Email enquiry@kini.events to find out more.Follow us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TopInTechMY" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">FB</a> to keep updated.

EP 4: The New W.o.W (sponsored by KPMG in Malaysia)

Speakers: <ul><li>Maran Virumandi, CEO of <a href="https://www.doctoroncall.com.my/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Doctor On Call</a> </li><li>Nadiah Wan, Group CEO of TMC Life Sciences, CEO of <a href="https://thomsonhospitals.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Thomson Hospital Kota Damansara</a> </li></ul>Moderator: Karamjit Singh, CEO of <a href="https://www.digitalnewsasia.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Digital News Asia</a> Digital health is the convergence of digital technologies with health, healthcare, living, and society to enhance the efficiency of healthcare. It can cover everything from wearable gadgets to telehealth.Virtual consultations and remote care have been widely accepted to enable clinical services without an in-person visit. Before Covid, some healthcare providers have dabbled in this before, but the rise in interest could lead to a permanent shift. Is this the future of patient care?Partner with us! Email enquiry@kini.events to find out more.Follow us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TopInTechMY" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">FB</a> to keep updated.

EP 3: Telehealth (sponsored by Doctor On Call)

Speakers: <ul><li>Irene Tay, General Manager of <a href="http://www.gnnh.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Green &amp; Natural Industries</a> </li><li>Teong Teck Lean, Managing Director of <a href="https://www.gdexpress.com/malaysia/home/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">GD Express Sdn Bhd</a> </li></ul>Moderator: Karamjit Singh, CEO of <a href="https://www.digitalnewsasia.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Digital News Asia</a> Covid has caused the rapid adaptation towards working from home.The pulse on productivity, acceleration in digitisation and continuous re-skilling, are the Future of Work.Future of Work highlighted the change and adaptation in the working environment and how businesses are run, this allows many of us to see the possibilities for change and innovation to continue these practices in a post Covid world.Partner with us! Email enquiry@kini.events to find out more.Follow us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TopInTechMY" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">FB</a> to keep updated.

EP 2: Future of Work

Speaker: Vicks Kanagasingam, CEO of <a href="https://www.xperanti.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Xperanti</a> Moderator: Karamjit Singh, CEO of <a href="https://www.digitalnewsasia.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Digital News Asia</a> We see the power of data in a pandemic in real-time.The lessons we are receiving from this experience will inform how we monitor future pandemics by using the Internet of Things (IoT) and Big Data. National or Global apps could result in better early warning systems because they could report and track who is showing symptoms of an outbreak. GPS data could then be used to track where exposed people have been and who they have interacted with to show contagion. Any of these efforts require careful implementation to safeguard an individual’s privacy and to prevent the abuse of the data but offer huge benefits to more effectively monitor and tackle future pandemic.Partner with us! Email enquiry@kini.events to find out more.Follow us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TopInTechMY" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">FB</a> to keep updated.

EP 1: Better Monitoring Using loT and Big Data

<div>COVID-19 has forced us to innovate and change the way we work and live. The global pandemic might be taxing our systems and patience, but it’s also building our resilience and allowing us to develop new and innovative solutions out of necessity. As new technologies and solutions are introduced in this environment, we look to governments, companies and people to play an active role in shaping future frameworks.TOP IN TECH is a series of online forums that seeks to offer an in-depth understanding on technology transformation and innovation post Covid.Jointly curated by Malaysiakini, Kini Events, Digital News Asia and ScaleUp Malaysia, this series will bring together industry players from government and private sectors who will share their insights and predictions into how digital transformation and innovation are important to strengthen the digital infrastructure and increase interconnectivity between human and technology to co-exist.Partner with us! Email enquiry@kini.events to find out more.Follow us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TopInTechMY" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">FB</a> to keep updated.</div>

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