One of the outcomes of the Special Task Force for Monitoring the Impact of the Global Financial Crisis on the Malaysian ICT Industry is to convene a half-day high-level forum to discuss and confront the crisis, and to ascertain its impact on the ICT Industry.

The Forum Objectives were:

• Discuss how the financial crisis may impact the ICT industry 
   
• Provide a forum for informal debate and the exchange of experiences and view by all stakeholders on confronting the crisis.
   
• Help foster new strategies, which will ultimately help the industries and communities confronting the crisis.
  
  Key Questions: 
   
  • Is This Crisis Any Different? 
     
  • Will ICT-Producing Economies be Spared from the Economic Downturn? 
     
  • What’s are the Impact of the Crisis on Foreign Investment (FDI) and Domestic Direct Investment (DDI) in ICT & Telecommunications

1. Opening Remarks by the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Malaysia

2. Plenary Session 1: Crises and Creative Destruction

Moderator: Datuk Dr. Tengku Mohd Azzman Shariffadeen

Panelists:

• Tan Sri Mohamed Jawhar Hassan, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, ISIS Malaysia
• Alternate: Prof. Dr. Mahani Zainal Abidin, Director-General, ISIS Malaysia
• Y.Bhg. Tan Sri Dato’ Ir Muhammad Radzi Mansor, Chairman, Telekom Malaysia Berhad
• Alternate: YBhg. Dato’ Zamzamzairani Mohd Isa, Group CEO, Telekom Malaysia Berhad
• Y.Bhg. Datuk Bridget Anne Lai Hung Yee, CEO, Alliance Financial Group

Context Setting/Key Questions

For the ICT industry, experience of previous crises shows that, overall, there is little need to fear the impact financial crises may have, and there are even some reasons to be optimistic. The Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s laid the groundwork for the early development of broadband in that region, while the bursting of the dot.com bubble gave telcos the opportunity to embrace the Internet and to reclaim some of the ground they had lost to new market entrants. Economic crises create openings for disruptive technologies and, here, small start-ups can prove the most agile in exploiting new opportunities. Economic crises come and go, but the basic human need to communicate continues unchanged.

Followed by Question and Answer Session

3. Plenary Session 2: The Impact of Crisis to FDI and DDI in ICT

Moderator: Dato Dr Arif Nun

Panelists:

• YBhg. Datuk Jalilah Baba, Director General, Malaysian Industrial Development Authority (MIDA)
• David Wong, President, PIKOM
• Dato’ Badlisham Ghazali, CEO, MDEC
• Dato’ Praba Thiagarajah, CEO Basis Bay Capital Management Sdn Bhd
• Frost and Sullivan
• American Chambers 

Context Setting/Key Questions 
 
The past twelve months have seen important developments in the wider communications market. A range of new and innovative services in the market have increased in popularity: e.g., mobile broadband, allowing people to access the Internet on the move. Digital switchover has started in the Malaysia and the convergence of new and traditional media and business models is now upon us. At the same time, we now face significant economic pressures on a global scale, from which the ICT and communication sector is not immune. The uncertainty and volatility of the current climate means that we need to be prepared to act quickly and firmly if any consumer harm arises as a result. 

Followed by Question and Answer Session

4. Closing Remarks by the Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Malaysia

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