Malaysia partners Microsoft to equip civil servants with digital skills

The government of Malaysia and Microsoft have launched the MyDIGITAL GovTech Innovation partnership to equip civil servants with digital skills and training. This will be done in collaboration with Microsoft and key government agencies such as MyDIGITAL Corporation and the Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit (MAMPU) to support the nation's aspiration for inclusive, sustainable, and responsible development. 

The MyDIGITAL GovTech Innovation partnership is in line with Malaysia's aims of achieving the targets outlined in the 12th Malaysia Plan and Malaysia Digital Economy Blueprint. The targets include 80% adoption of cloud storage across the government in 2022, and 100% digital literacy among civil servants, as well as 80% end-to-end online government services by 2025. 

Additionally, MAMPU and Microsoft have also signed the Cloud Framework Agreement to create a trusted cloud network and empower the public sector of Malaysia in its digital transformation journey. 

In addition, the MyDIGITAL GovTech Innovation partnership builds on the letter of intent signed between Microsoft and MyDIGITAL Corporation during the prime minister, Ismail Sabri Bin Yaakob’s visit to the United States in May 2022. The letter of intent identified areas of collaboration including developing cybersecurity capabilities, driving the adoption of digital technologies by the public sector, and nurturing skilled talent to grow the digital economy.

According to Mustapa Mohamed, minister for economy in Malaysia’s prime minister’s department, the role of Malaysia's civil service is key to building Malaysia's economic resilience in these challenging times. "Our long-standing partnership with Microsoft enables the civil service to be more innovative, data-driven and rakyat-centric in finding solutions as well as formulating effective policies. An initiative such as this is an important step for Malaysia to equip ourselves with the relevant tools and capabilities to develop a digital-first economy," he said. 

"Our mission is to empower every person and every organisation on the planet to achieve more. Everyone must benefit. Without a doubt, this is reflected in our commitment to Malaysia. This year marks Microsoft’s 30 years in Malaysia, and we are happy to commemorate the occasion with our partners from the Government of Malaysia," Jean-Philippe Courtois, executive vice president and resident, National Transformation Partnerships, Microsoft, said.

Courtois added that Microsoft will remain steadfast in its partnership to enable Malaysia to leverage the brand's expertise and capabilities in technology to power inclusive economic growth and resilience in the digital era. 

The need for digital talent is becoming increasingly important as companies prepare for Industry 4.0 and undergo digital transformation to evolve with the times. According to PwC's 24th Annual Global CEO Survey in 2021, the majority of Malaysian CEOs (91%) are prioritising long-term investments in digital transformation over the next three years. Also, 56% of CEOs in Malaysia plan to increase their investments in digital transformation by 10% or more, while 35% plan to increase it by between 3% to 9%.

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