Brunei, Malaysia Join Forces For ICT
By Jon Tampoi

Bandar Seri Begawan - Brunei's Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry (AITI) is currently hosting a two-day event from yesterday for the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDEC) and more than 20 other MSC status companies from Malaysia.

In attendance were AITI's Chief Executive Pg Hj Mohd Zain Pg Hj Abd Razak and Dato' Mohd Badlisham Ghazali, the Chief Executive and Senior Officer of MDEC.

The opening ceremony's 100 guests also included members of the ICT Federation of Brunei (IFB), Malaysia and Brunei captains of the ICT industry, senior government officers from both countries, as well as heads of ICT businesses and education providers.

In his speech, Pg Hj Mohd Zain mentioned that the ICT industry plays a very important role in the national economic development of many countries, particularly towards achieving a more knowledge-based economy.

He said that ICT companies must therefore create their own-patented intellectual property, which in the future can help determine the wealth of a nation. He added that Malaysian MSC status companies have had a lot of success in working towards this objective. He further mentioned that the e-Government initiative being implemented over the next few years is the single biggest IT project in Brunei.

It also offers many business and development opportunities, as its participating companies' commercial entities grow bigger and stronger.

Future developments in the ICT industry of Brunei will be further boosted by introducing programmes, schemes and incentives that encourage IP ownerships, transfers of know-how, developments of local human resources and capitalisations to become regional players.

The big size of the Malaysian delegation and the high-profile MDEC teams in Brunei also prove the importance that has been placed in the commercial relations between the two countries.

Meanwhile, in his opening remarks, Dato' Mohd Badlisham Ghazali said that the IT industry is customer-oriented and it is not easy to balance all requirements, but Brunei has the potential to drive its ICT industry further.

The event is an initiative to encourage the ICT industry's growth in Brunei through promoting, facilitating and collaborating with well-known agencies and companies.

In addition, a representative from the Prime Minister's Office gave a presentation entitled 'Developments of the E-government in Brunei Darussalam and its Future Plan'.

AITI's Assistant Chief Executive of IT Industry Development Wallace Koh also gave a presentation entitled 'Brunei ICT Development Plan and ICT Market Opportunities'.

It was followed by a presentation on MSC Malaysia and e-Govemment by a Senior Manager of MDEC's Socio-Economic Development Division Puan Gayah Gulam Haidar. This event marks the second of its kind with the first held in March 2007.  -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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