By Murniati Abu Karim
Foto Ikhwan Hashim

BANGI, 11 Ogos 2021– Malaysia set out to accelerate digital adoption and technologies in the areas of skills, interconnectivity, governance, and innovation by launching the National Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) Policy in July.

In support of the initiative, Center For Global Business and Digital Economy Studies (GLoBDE) Faculty of Economics and Management, University Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) collaborated with the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MOSTI), Economic Planning Unit (EPU), and Cradle Fund Sdn. Bhd to organise the 2nd Digital Economy Forum @UKM.

Themed “Empowering Industry Players to Boost Economic Competitiveness Through Digitalisation”, the forum aimed at bridging the government’s effort to empower industry players with awareness on the National 4IR policies and strategies that have been streamlined in response to the COVID-19 pandemic situation in Malaysia.

The forum featured expert panellists from the industry and government including MOSTI Secretary General, Datuk Ir. Ts. Dr. Siti Hamisah Tapsir, EPU Manufacturing Industry Science and Technology Section Division at the Prime Minister’s Department Director, Dato’ V Valluvan Veloo, and Cradle Fund Sdn Bhd Group CEO, Rafiza Ghazali.

As the country grapples with the challenges posed by the global pandemic Covid-19, the panellists raised interesting points about ensuring opportunities for government grants to empower industry players, particularly start-up companies that create or adopt emerging science and technologies.

Also present at the forum was UKM Faculty of Economics and Management Dean, Prof. Dr. Aini Aman and UKM GLoBDE Research Centre Associate Professor, Dr. Ruzita Abdul Rahim. UKM Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dato’ Ts. Dr. Mohd Ekhwan Hj. Toriman, who was unable to attend the event, left a video recording of his opening remarks.

In his speech, he stated that UKM is proud to have pioneered an industry-academic-government forum such as this.

“We take great pride in ensuring that our graduates are up to date on the latest developments and discoveries, while also preparing them for the future workforce in the IR4.0 era.

“Digital skills are no longer a competitive advantage in today’s tech-savvy world, but rather a requirement for future employees in the challenging work environment amidst the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.

The forum, which was held on the Zoom platform drew over 700 participants from various industries, government agencies, and communities from local and international universities.