Business community engaged to get assistance and collaboration in developing Sarawak's digital economy

KUCHING: Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg today had a dialogue session with industry and business leaders to get their inputs and feedback on the government's digital economic initiatives.
He said their inputs and feedback were crucial in building a digital economy as the government needed their collaboration and cooperation to ensure the success of the initiatives.
He pointed out that among the issues they highlighted in the dialogue included human capital, skills, internet infrastructures, cybersecurity, and development gap between urban and rural areas.
"We also took this opportunity to explain to them the blueprint taken by the government to transform our economy to digital economy. As a whole, they are very supportive, and willing to collaborate and ascend their assistance to realise these objectives," he said at a press conference after the meeting at Wisma Bapa Malaysia here today.
He further reiterated that the bill on the legislative framework of Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA) would be introduced in the coming State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting in November, specifically to regulate the development of ICT infrastructure and digital economy utilization in the state.
Under the proposed SMA, the Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation will be established to coordinate all digital economy initiatives including infrastructure, e-government, e-commerce, talent development and cybersecurity.
Apart from the Chief Minister and some 60 industry and business leaders, the dialogue session was also attended by two Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan and Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas; Sarawak International Trade and E-commerce Minister Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh and some 20 senior civil servants. — Bernama