Sage urges govt to improve digital infra in Sabah
Published on: Wednesday, October 02, 2019
KUALA LUMPUR: The government has been urged to improve digital infrastructure in rural areas as well as developing states like Sabah and Sarawak to support the businesses of small medium enterprises (SMEs).
Sage Asia Chief Growth Officer Sushil Singh said in today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, it was crucial for a robust digital infrastructure to help SME businesses realise their growth potential.
ADVERTISEMENT
“The majority of the digital infrastructure, such as the soon to be tested 5G service network, comprising fibre optic network and broadband services, are often concentrated within the urban areas of Malaysia,” he said in a statement.
However, he said there is huge potential in the rural areas as well as Sabah and Sarawak, which is a priority, as there are many burgeoning SMEs and even larger enterprises setting up and growing outside of the urban setting.
“The migration of manufacturing operations to outlying areas such as emerging small towns like Muar, Johor, has boosted local economies.
“It is undeniable that the availability of digital infrastructure is critical in enabling them to adopt new technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), BigData and artificial intelligence (AI) and as such, gaps in infrastructure and connectivity need to be addressed with urgency,” he added.
ADVERTISEMENT
According to Sushil, all businesses struggled with heavy financial costs, lack of visibility, strategic management and an inability to fulfil their potential.
He said existing development schemes and programmes were good initiatives, but the government should make an intentional effort, to review the effectiveness of existing public programmes meant to help SMEs.
ADVERTISEMENT
“This is to make the schemes less complex, easier to access and complete via online and mobile capabilities.
“Budget 2020, to be tabled in Parliament on Oct 11, should provide support for and setup more incubation labs and centres of excellence, which provide real-world solutions leveraging on emerging technologies such as IoT, blockchain, AI and machine learning.
“This would have a two-fold impact on the economy by creating homegrown IP and innovation specific to the needs of local Malaysian companies.
“Furthermore, the effective incentives could also be introduced for Malaysians to take the leap into embracing entrepreneurship, given this is vital to the continued growth and evolution of the Malaysian economy,” Sushil added.
Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
Daily Express Malaysia
