IPOH: Several MSC status companies currently operating at the Meru Raya Cybercentre gave the Perak Government the thumbs up for its initiative of turningthe state into an ICT hub.
One of the companies, GreenEarth Technovations Sdn Bhd, a major ICT solutionsprovider since 2003, has been accredited with ISO 9001:2000 QMS Certification,was thankful to the State Government for embarking on such an ambitious project.“If they had not done so, we would never have been accorded the MSC status,” saidits Chief Technology Officer Saiful Anuar A. Rahim.He also described the setting up of KPerak Implementation and CoordinationCorporation (KPerak INC), which is wholly owned and funded by the StateGovernment, as the best thing to have happened for the people in the state.
“It is the sole agency or to be more precise, the pioneer in promoting K-Economyin Perak. Without it, we will not be where we are now,” he said. KPerak INC is a one-stop agency, entrusted to ensure the successful implementationof the KPerak 2010:ICT Strategic Blueprint aimed at turning Perak into a knowledgestate by the year 2010. Saiful Anuar, however, pointed out that there was still room for KPerak to improvein ensuring MSC status companies like GreenEarth being able to sustain their corebusinesses.This, he said, was vital as the survival of such companies was totally dependanton the size of users of multimedia products and services. “The awareness on ICT usage is still very low in Perak and a lot more initiativesare needed for the people to embrace ICT as a part of their lives.
Only when this happens will our company be able to grow as more and more peoplewill be seeking our services,” said Saiful Anuar whose company attained the MSCstatus in August this year.The MSC status is awarded by the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDC), a bodyset up by Malaysian government agency, as part of the Malaysian government’slong-term goals in creating an environment that encourages innovation.The MDC also helps companies, both local and foreign, to reach new technologicalfrontiers by forming partnerships with global IT players and at the same timeproviding them with the opportunities for mutual enrichment and success. Companies that are eligible to be awarded with the MSC status must be a provideror a heavy user of ICT products and services, employ a substantial number ofknowledge workers and contribute to the development of the MSC and the Malaysianeconomy.
Saiful Anuar also said that Meru Raya Cybercentre was chosen as the company’soperational base because of the vast business opportunities available in thestate. “We noted that the operations of Small and Medium Industries in Perak were stillnot well supported in terms of ICT facilities.“This is definitely a wise business decision as there are already too manycompanies offering ICT solutions and services in Cyberjaya and compared with theirexperience in this field, we are nowhere,” he said. On the incentives provided by the State Government, Saiful Anuar said his companyhas yet to utilise them fully. He explained that GreenEarth does not want to be aggressive until the market inPerak is ready to accept ICT and incorporate it into their lives.
In terms of infrastructure, he said, the state needs to speed up theimplementation of its broadband facilities in order to support the rate of ICTgrowth in Perak. Hiroshi Industries Sdn Bhd’s chief executive officer Louis Oui agreed with SaifulAnuar and said that a good infrastructure was needed to ensure Perak’s success inachieving its digital agenda.“We need to have advanced broadband applications and services especially at MeruRaya to attract more companies to set up their operations there,” he said.
He also suggested that perhaps it was time for Meru Raya to embark on the secondphase of its development plan in order to gain the confidence of investors. He said many investors were still adopting a “wait and see” approach as they haveyet to see much physical progress taking place there. “Apart from the Perak Techno Trade building, there is nothing much for one to seein Meru Raya. The State Government needs to speed up things so that people can seefor themselves the development taking place there,” said Oui. Meru Raya, spread over 100ha along the North South Expressway near the Jelapangtoll plaza, has been recognized as one of MSC Malaysia Cybercentres and will bethe base to all MSC status companies in Perak.
“Location wise, Meru Raya definitely has an added advantage because it is locatednext to the highway,” said Oui who runs a search engine business for products andservices. Through its epages2u.com.my website, Hiroshi Industries provides businessdirectory services to the public.“So far there are 3,800 companies advertising their businesses on our websitewhile the remaining are information on government related agencies includingschools,” he said. For a nominal fee, company which intends to be listed in the online directorywould get a one year advertising period. “For example, someone who wants to advertise its product need only pay RM365 forone year advertisement,” he said.Oui added that the company plans to replace the advertising space offered bynewspapers.
