Kuala Lumpur, 7 April 2021 – Malaysia is reaping the benefits of a digitally-enabled citizenry with more Malaysians embracing digital engagements with the Government, according to VMware, Inc. (NYSE: VMW). In the new VMware Digital Frontiers 3.0 Study, 45% of respondents indicated that they are happy to interact digitally with the Malaysian government, a positive step towards the country’s vision of growing its digital economy and becoming the “Heart of Digital ASEAN”.
A key to achieving Malaysia’s “Heart of Digital ASEAN” vision lies in the embrace of technologies of the future. With Malaysian consumers becoming more trusting of emerging technologies such as facial recognition (61%), artificial intelligence (57%) and 5G (64%), the time is ripe for Malaysia’s public sector to step up experimentation and innovation, accelerating the digital pivot of Malaysian society towards an increasingly digital future.
With 79% of Malaysians defining themselves as being “digitally curious” or “digital explorers”, a significant proportion of Malaysia’s residents are embracing digital services and expect the Government to deliver cutting-edge digital experiences, seamlessly and securely. The public sector in Malaysia has also responded accordingly with more than one-third of Malaysians (39%) agree that the public sector has delivered better digital experiences since the pandemic last year.
On the important topic of trust, 42% of those surveyed are also reassured and trust that their data and information are secure with the Malaysian government. More than half of respondents (58%) shared that they are comfortable or excited to share completely accurate data about their daily lives (i.e. spending habits, nutrition and diet, health and location) for the Government to better offer services to them, placing them ahead of its Southeast Asia counterparts – including Singapore (42%), Philippines (48%), Indonesia (57%) and Thailand (48%).
“Malaysia has continuously strived to become a digital economy hub and it is encouraging to see positive responses from Malaysians in embracing digital technologies,” said Devan Parinpanayagam, Country Manager, VMware Malaysia. “As we rally together towards creating a more digitally inclusive society, we need to focus on a citizen-focused, value-driven model that incorporates technologies of the future so both public and private organizations to deliver superior digital experiences to Malaysians. By integrating cutting-innovations that align with consumer expectations, I believe we will be in a good position to respond, adapt and accelerate our transformation journey while narrowing the digital divide amongst Malaysians.”
Although Malaysians are becoming more open to embracing digital services compared to their global counterparts, almost half (48%) of Malaysian respondents believe that it is the Government’s responsibility to increase their personal digital literacy levels. 40% of respondents surveyed also trust the public sector in raising their personal digital literacy levels, highlighting the need for greater public efforts to continue educating and strengthening digital literacy of Malaysians. The local government agencies have also responded accordingly with recent initiatives such as #MyDigitalWorkforce movement and Tech Talent @School to equip Malaysians with the right digital skills and knowledge and nurture interest in technology.
Technology strengthens Asia’s COVID readiness with greater digital transformation outcomes to accelerate economic growth and recovery
In a fast-changing business environment, governments in the region have showcased the value technology brings to enable a connected and innovative ecosystem. While organizations were focused on responding and adapting to the pandemic to ensure business continuity in 2020, 2021 marks a turning point with innovation becoming a priority for future-ready organizations looking to accelerate their growth.
A wholistic approach that enables organizations to deliver superior digital experiences across any cloud, any application and any device, in a seamless and secure manner, will become a critical success factor in Asia’s rapidly digitalizing business environment. Progressing into 2021, VMware outlines key priorities that can further strengthen Asia’s transformation into a resilient, inclusive and innovation-led economy:
- Empowering governments to build a multi-cloud and app future: Unlocking multi-cloud future with app-driven innovations for greater agility in a consistent and more secure environment that enables continuous innovation
- Enabling innovation and productivity for a distributed workforce: Future ready workforce solutions will enable a seamless and more secure digital employee experience, driving greater outcomes in the new world of work
- Intrinsic security for uninterrupted innovation: An intrinsic approach to enterprise security will provide an additional layer of robust protection for mission-critical operations and infrastructures to fast-track business innovation and resilience
“As Malaysians roll up their sleeves and set out to recover and chart economic growth this year, the Government will play a vital role in addressing the ever-growing digital gap and empowering Malaysians as well as businesses to thrive in the new digital economy,” added Parinpanayagam. “VMware remains committed to being an enabler in driving superior digital innovations and supercharging the digital transformation journeys of public and private organizations so that they can respond, adapt and accelerate their businesses in today’s digital-first environment. Undoubtedly, collaborating more closely with the local ecosystem will help us help them propel the economy and thrive in the digital era ahead.”
