Excerpts of Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg’s speech at the opening of the International Digital Economy Conference Sarawak (Idecs) 2019
This is our third year of organising the International Digital Economy Conference Sarawak (Idecs), and another meaningful conference particularly for the 2,300 delegates.
Our theme for this year Idecs is “Envisioning Sarawak Future Living”.
The keynote speakers from all over the world will certainly bring along invaluable global views, perspectives and best practices to this conference especially those related to the conference theme and on our digital economy, specifically in the areas of Digital Government, Manufacturing, Smart City, Tourism, Agriculture and e-Commerce.
Allow me to elaborate on the theme and how are we going to envision our way of life in the near future.
Nowadays, one of the outstanding technological term we hear almost every day is the world SMART. I think it starts with Smart phones and Smart TVs.
I have been thrilled by what I have seen from various sources and also from our study visits regarding Smart City, Smart Farming, Smart Parking, Smart Metering for electricity and water consumption, Smart Surveillance for Security Monitoring (Industrial Revolution 4.0), Smart Learning and certainly many more.
Some of you may have already known a lot about these subjects and are able to imagine to a certain extent how the Smart future living will be.
Now we are hearing and experiencing more intricate and complex technological terms including 5G telecommunications, Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Leaning, Voice Recognition, Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR), Fintech, Blockchain, Big Data, Data Analytics, and Robotics.
What have all these terms got to do with our future living? If I may, our daily lives have been influenced by the media in many forms, be it in advertising or entertainment.
However, the introduction of Virtual Reality (VR) into Advertising, Entertainment and Tourism, has changed our perspective of what we thought as only appearing on the screen is now something that is real.
One example of the use of VR is advertisement of tourist destinations. Tourists can select and preview the real views of the attractive sites or items included in the different tour packages before they decide to purchase these packages.
Another example of VR usage is in the training for deep sea diving. The trainee needs not really dive deep into the sea. The trainee wears the head and body gears. The head gear VR system’s screen covers the trainee’s whole view and simulates the deep-sea environment, with interactive simulation of real-life deep-sea diving. Using the gear, the trainee reacts and learns how to deal with different dangerous situations in deep sea diving without the risk of real dangers. Performance can be measured by the system and evaluated accordingly. In other words, it is a very safe yet very realistic training.
The same applies when we talk about Augmented Reality (AR) in Computer Games and TV shows.
One example of such TV show using AR is during sports events such as football or badminton. On the TV screen, you are able to see augmented images on the badminton court which do not exist in the real world. You only see the images on the TV screen. The images can be the names of the player or other images that can be programmed into the view. That is the capability of AR technology.
My Vision
With all these technologies in mind, my vision is that they are going to shape the ways the industrial sectors will design their services, products and processes and also the evolution of the global economic ecosystems. I believe, with our strategies in hand and with the supports from the whole communities, Sarawak can be on the same par with developed countries in its digital journey.
We can no longer be left behind in terms of digital technology adoption and digital economic growth that can very well benefit for our people. Either we push ahead in new research areas or we will be always a follower without being able to bring much progress to our people and country.
I am fully aware of the critics of my vision to bring Sarawak towards Digital Economy.
I wish to reiterate that Digital Economy vision is not something that we all can take for granted. Let me just share a simple example of the benefits of transforming into Digital Economy.
By restructuring cash-based transaction and using digital payments in the very near future, the government can efficiently cut the Black Economy and increase revenue through sales tax. This is one of the most obvious and common benefits of Digital Economy, when transaction is digitised, monitoring sales and taxes becomes more convenient.
With the introduction of Blockchain in our management and transaction of our accounts and payment, monitoring records of payment, sales, procurement, billings, collection and generation of financial reports becomes so automated that it will eradicate any human intervention and allow for total transparency, cost efficiency, speed and optimal utilisation of resources. Blockchain will be one of the more obvious and common benefits of the Digital Economy both to the citizen and the government. Don Tapscott deliberated on the Blockchain technology during the first Idecs Conference in 2017.
There are so many other benefits from Digital Economy which almost every country in this world is forgoing into. For Sarawak we have begun that journey since I took over as Chief Minister and we have charted our strategies and action plans which are now in the early stage of implementation. Please bear with me as we will conduct and roll out our Digital Economy projects surely but certainly and with proper governance. We cannot afford to make mistakes in this journey and with God blessing our State and the people will benefits from our efforts.
On that note, allow me to share some of our early initiatives carried out to implement our Digital Economy strategies.
Digital Government
The Sarawak Government has implemented an online identification and authentication system known as “Sarawak ID” for enabling the public to access and use the various online services or application systems of the Sarawak Government.
The Sarawak ID is the first step towards service-based, people centric government, where people will know the government by the services provided and not functions of departments.
As at 1st July 2019, the number of Sarawak ID registered users is 208,644. Twenty Government services are also now online and registered Sarawak ID users benefit from the flexibility as well as ease of access to these services.
In the near future, a series of more innovative, engaging, more personalised and seamless services will also be introduced.
e-Commerce
For e-Commerce purpose, the Sarawak Government has implemented the e-wallet apps known as Sarawak Pay.
Many companies can set up e-wallet business. However, unlike other e-wallet service provider, Sarawak Pay is not profit-oriented and as such targets the well-being of the underserved, unbackable and rural people.
As at 30th June 2019, the number of user sign-up was 91,640; with a total of transactions and top up amounting to RM35 million. The target is to reach 150,000 users by year end.
Digital Infrastructure
The key to Digital Economy is the Digital Infrastructure.
The State Government is setting up 300 telecommunication structures, of which are expected to be completed by 2019.
These towers cover areas not served by commercial service providers due to the lack of potential for financial return of investment.
Apart from Cloud technology the state is also in the midst of laying fibre optics cable on land across the breadth of Sarawak while working together with international companies to provide gateway linkage to the global network.
I would like to say that I am very happy and like to congratulate Long Busang for having its rural connectivity provided by a private sector organisation which did it as a corporate social responsibility initiative complementing what the Government is doing.
I hope that there will be more private sector organisation coming forward to initiate and contribute to the development of our rural areas. The Sarawak Government is only able to assist to a certain extent.
Higher Education and Research
The development of the Digital Economy sectors would require knowledge workers as a main driving force. Hence, in the areas of Higher Education and Research, the State Government has provided scholarships to students and grants to universities to conduct research. The State will also partner top-notch international technology companies and universities to transfer knowledge and technology as well as to commercialise research outcomes.
Smart Farming/Agriculture
The Sarawak Government has also implemented smart farming in Kuching Division using IoT devices to monitor the farm’s environment and conditions to boost crop productivity.
The State is setting up cloud services to cater for the expected surge in IoT data, particularly in storage as a service (SAAS). The cloud services will also cater for the requirements of other verticals such as the manufacturing, Fintech, transportation and logistics and other sectors. These may be extended to the private and the public sectors.
I foresee the demand for cloud infrastructure and services to continue its uptrend. Sarawak is blessed as it is suitably located with abundant resources, political stability and decisiveness, as well as low setting up and operating costs for global cloud solutions. Such favourable climate, of course, means great investment opportunities.
Future Plan
What I have mentioned are some of the early action plans now being implemented to begin our Digital Economy journey. There is much more in store this year and the years to come.
Finally, I would like to say a big “Thank you” to everyone for their support and to the Chairman of the Idecs 2019 conference and his team of officers from SMA and SCOPE and all who have helped in this International Digital Economy Sarawak (Idecs) 2019.
With this, ladies and gentlemen, I hereby officially declare open Idecs 2019 conference and exhibition and I wish you all the best and enjoy conferencing and hope that you will have a fruitful time in Kuching.
