MDEC makes key management changes, charts direction towards Malaysia 5.0

Major changes are taking place at the country’s digital transformation agency, MDEC with a new chairman and the recent appointment of four board of directors from various backgrounds, is once again making strategic internal changes to its operation structure to better serve its mandate.

Focused in delivering the nations aspiration on becoming the ASEAN digital hub, MDEC is gearing up internally to spearhead some of the goals set by the new chairman. Under Datuk Wira Dr Hj. Rais the vision is to transform Malaysia to a digital first nation, embracing multiple transformation initiatives like 4IR, smart solutions, big data, IOT and AI. In recognising that digital transformation and adoption is crucial to capitalise on new opportunities, the chairman points out that MDEC will have to be agile and streamlined.

To deploy these missions, the agency has restructured its key management strength with the formation of five new divisions headed by CEO Surina Shukri. The new divisions are Digital MDEC: Strategy – Dato’ Fadzli Shah Transformation Office Transformation and Organizational Development – Azhar JamalAI & Technology – Azri Yahaya Digitally Powered Businesses:  Adoption (Demand) – Dato’ Ng Wan Peng Industry (Supply)- Gopi Ganesalingam Digital Investments: Investment and Brand- Raymond Siva Digitally Skilled Malaysians: Skills & Jobs – Dr. Sumitra Nair.

The reinvented MDEC will introduce the IOOI (Input, Output, Outcome, Impact) Valuation Metrics in its planning to guide future resource allocation and utilisation, and effectively measure the organisation’s socio-economic contribution to society. This will directly cultivate a high-performing and high-impact organisation. With four strategic focus areas and cross-division agile teams, MDEC expects to break down silos and drive both synergies and efficiencies across teams. People, industry and investors are seen to benefit from its streamlined access to relevant subject-matter expertise, programmes and financial support initiatives. Internally, MDEC will also ensure processes to be much less labour-intensive through its digitalisation and enabling better customer service.

Malaysia currently ranks 8th within the Asia-Pacific region in the Global Innovation Index 2020, which ranks the innovation capacities of 131 economies in the world, and 11th in Startup Genome’s Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2020, which ranks the top 140 startup ecosystems globally. The new MDEC is aimed to lead Malaysia to make the digital leap into the Fourth Industrial Revolution and into cementing the country’s status as one of the foremost Asian nations to embrace the new digital-first reality.