Telecoms & IT

From a regional perspective, Malaysia’s communications industry is at an intermediate level of development: significantly ahead of most ASEAN countries, but trailing “Asian tigers” like Singapore, Hong Kong, and South Korea. New developments in telecoms may be changing this, with wireless operators rolling out 4G networks and Telekom Malaysia deploying a fibre-to-the-home network in core areas. The IT sector, meanwhile, is seen as a prime candidate for powering a next-generation Malaysian economy, and possible sources of growth include the creative multimedia, outsourcing, and data centre industries. Sourcing talent for this industry, however, is proving to be a perennial headache. This chapter includes interviews with Mohamed Sharil Tarmizi, Chairman, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), and Zam Isa, Group CEO, Telekom Malaysia.