National IOT Strategic Roadmap
When the Malaysia Budget 2017, tabled by Malaysia Prime Minister Najib Razak on Friday 21 October 2016, many local ICT players questioned whether the allocations for the ICT industry go far enough to continue the drive to the high-income developed nation status goal by the year 2020. It’s just three years away from the Wawasan 2020.
Unfortunately, Internet of Things (IoT) and Smart Cities missed again to get properly mentioned in the Budget Speech. Unlike Nasi Lemak Anak Dara and Nasi Kandar Vanggey that get an instant boost of popularity, unfortunately, the National IOT Strategic Roadmap and the hottest topic around the world such as Smart Cities are taken a back-seat. We were hoping that a special mention about these hottest topics in the Budget 2017 can help boost the awareness and make them a priority in boosting the economy by 2020.
Through MDEC, a sum of RM162 million is allocated to implement programmes such as e-commerce ecosystem and Digital Maker Movement as well as the introduction of new location category as Malaysia Digital Hub.
The Government will also introduce the first Digital Free Zone in the world. It will merge physical and virtual zones, with additional online and digital services to facilitate international e- commerce and invigorate internet-based innovation.
(As quoted in Budget 2017)
As mentioned by Dato’ Yasmin Mahmood, CEO of MDEC in CIO Asia, “We will also be the first country in the world to introduce the Digital Free Trade Zone.For the first time, the world will have physical and virtual zones with additional online and digital services to facilitate international eCommerce and invigorate internet based-innovation,” added Yasmin. “With these measures, we look set to make the most out of the Internet Economy next year; and take a step closer to becoming a fully sustainable developed digital economy nation.”
Hopefully, projects for IoT and Smart Cities are embedded in some of the initiatives stated in the Budget above.
About the Author
Dr. Mazlan Abbas is an IOT Evangelist, Thought Leader and CEO of REDtone IOT,. You can reach him on LinkedIn at https://my.linkedin.com/in/mazlan/ or Twitter at http://twitter.com/mazlan_abbas . For further details, check out http://about.me/mazlan.abbas
Internet economy, digital economy, DFTZ , international e-commerce, high income economy and many things mentioned.
The bottom line is for the interest of people’s economy and to improve standard of living.
Probably only handful of people understand the subject of digital economy, smart city , iot and dftz . These initiatives need to snowballing to the people by relevant parties from the government with the assistance from the industry, otherwise people on the street will never understand. Roadshows, public consultation and awareness program must be carried out to realise the initiatives.
Agreed! Let’s get these initiatives off the ground fast!