Communications and Multimedia Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa speaks at the Deepavali Rumah Prihatin aid-giving ceremony in Kuala Lumpur.

Annuar Musa: Communications Ministry, MDEC to Drive MSC 2.0 Initiative, Attract Digital Investments

The Ministry of Communications and Multimedia (KKMM), together with the Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), will drive the development of MSC 2.0 to boost the country's digital economy and attract more digital investment, said its Minister, Tan Sri Annuar Musa.

He said that the decision was made during the fourth meeting of the National Digital Economy and Fourth Industrial Revolution Policy (4IR) Council, chaired by Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, recently.

"The decision is timely and relevant. As Malaysia is in the process of coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, the improvement of MSC Malaysia is crucial to move towards the country’s economic recovery, in line with the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP), Malaysia's Digital Economy Blueprint (MyDigital) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals,” he said in a statement today.

He said that MSC 2.0 aimed to expand the digital focus sector nationwide,  and catalyse new areas of development to generate high-income jobs.

It also aims to support and promote the widespread use of digital across all economic activities in Malaysia, and also bridge the digital divide towards equitable distribution of wealth.

Annuar said that MSC Malaysia, which is one of the main pillars of the country's digital economy, was established in 1996 to develop a conducive digital economy ecosystem, by nurturing local ICT champions and attracting global investment.

He said that the initiative had also helped promote digital adaptation in Malaysia and increase the amount of skilled talent in the country.

MSC 2.0 also involves incentive improvements and the MSC Malaysia Bill of Guarantee, new branding and location expansion for MSC to promote activities nationwide.

“KKMM and MDEC will work with all ministries, agencies and industries to develop a more progressive, inclusive and sustainable MSC 2.0,” he said.

(L2R) Deputy MOSTI Minister Ahmad Amzad, MOSTI Minister Dr Adham Baba, MOSTI chief secretary Zainal Abidin with Dzuleira Abu Bakar at the MRANTI launch.

MaGIC-TPM Now MRANTI

The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) today announced the formation of the Malaysian Research Accelerator for Technology and Innovation (MRANTI), through the merger of two agencies under MOSTI, Technology Park Malaysia and MaGIC.

MRANTI is expected to operate next year in line with the country's technology commercialization catalyst agenda through the Technology Commercialization Accelerator in driving Malaysia's economic growth through science, technology and innovation (STI-E).

At the MRANTI announcement today, Dr Adham Baba, Minister of MOSTI explained, "The main mission of MRANTI is to facilitate the process of generating ideas to the generation of impact through the creation, development and commercialization of technology and innovation."

The establishment of MRANTI under the TCA program is in line with the strategy under the policy catalyst to develop the future workforce and accelerate the adoption of technology and innovation outlined in the Twelfth Malaysia Plan (12MP).

“Through MRANTI, Return on Ideas or return from ideas generally refers to the exchange of knowledge to fiscal turnover. MRANTI was established as a technology and innovation launch platform to help enterprises, researchers and inventors maximize the return of ideas at a faster rate, by optimising synergies.”

In addition to offering capacity building programs and assistance to penetrate the market, MRANTI will also offer prototype facilities and live test fields as well as other infrastructure facilities and services to researchers and innovators.

During the launch, several Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) were signed, including:

• TPM and University of Malaya, Universiti Teknologi Petronas, Universiti Teknologi MARA and Universiti Sains Malaysia;
• MaGIC and the Malaysian Academy of Science Neutral Entities, namely Collaborative Research in Engineering, Science and Technology (CREST), Halal Development Corporation (HDC), Nano Malaysia Bhd and the International Center for Education in Islamic Finance (INCEIF); and
• MOSTI and the Malaysian Intellectual Property Corporation (MyIPO).

These MoUs aim to encourage the transfer of technology from laboratories to the industry which will lead to the commercialization of intellectual property and research and development (R&D) results from the academia.

The MoU between MOSTI and MyIPO is a collaboration in the sharing of Intellectual Property data which is permitted under the provisions of the existing Intellectual Property Legislation. The MoU also covers the sharing of funding data by MOSTI, as well as encouraging the use of the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Marketplace portal as an intellectual property trading platform among Malaysian intellectual property owners who receive funding from MOSTI.

Pandemic Places Children’s Future at Risk

Education Severely Affected for 800 Million Children Across Asia, Risking Their Future

The education of more than 800 million children – 400 million in South Asia, 260 million in East Asia and 140 million in Southeast Asia – across Asia has been disrupted due to school closures since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, and of that number, more than 27 million children have been waiting for more than a year to return to their classrooms, according to the report, “Situation Analysis on the Effects and Responses to COVID-19 on the Education Sector in Asia” (hereafter ‘Report’ or ‘SitAn Report’), released by UNICEF and UNESCO. 

Responding to the advent and spread of the pandemic in 2020, schools in Asia were fully closed on average for 50 per cent of teaching days. In some countries, for example, the Philippines schools have been closed throughout the entire pandemic to date, leaving an estimated 27 million students in pre-primary to secondary education without any in-person learning, a continuous period running from early 2020 to the present for over a year and counting. In Bangladesh, schools have been closed throughout the entire pandemic until 12 September, when they reopened again.

Even now, in the last quarter of 2021, many children are facing an unprecedented second year of school closures as new variants of the coronavirus spread across the region. The associated consequences of such continuous school closures are staggering and include learning loss; mental distress; missed school meals and routine vaccinations; heightened risk of drop out of structured education; increased, child labour; and increased child marriage. Many of these dire consequences are already affecting countless children, and many will continue to be felt in the years to come.

“We cannot overlook the impact that the disruption of education services has had on children, particularly the most vulnerable. When schools remain closed, children miss out on the biggest opportunity to learn and develop to their full potential. The future of an entire generation is at stake; therefore, we need every effort to ensure a safe reopening of schools as soon as possible. Otherwise, the learning loss will be difficult to overcome,” stated Marcoluigi Corsi, UNICEF Regional Director a.i. for East Asia and Pacific.

While countries across Asia are taking actions to provide students with distance learning, at least 28 per cent, or 220 million pre-primary to upper secondary students in the region, are not being reached. In addition to the lack of material assets and support to access technology, other significant obstacles that prevent disadvantaged children, and many girls, from accessing distance learning during these difficult times include a generally poor learning environment, an increase in pressure to take up domestic household chores and being forced to work outside the home.

This is why the report underscores the importance of delivering equitable and inclusive distance learning at scale to reach all children during full or partial school closures, while providing a package of support to ensure children’s health, nutrition and wellbeing. It also calls on governments and partners to strengthen teaching and teacher support, so as to address current low levels of learning and help narrow the learning divide, and protect and preserve education funding.

Unless mitigation measures are swiftly implemented, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) estimates an economic loss of USD $1.25 trillion for Asia, which is equivalent to 5.4 per cent of the region’s 2020 gross domestic product (GDP).

“Governments, partners and the private sector will need to work together, not only to get the strategies and levels of investment right, but to build more resilient, effective and inclusive systems that are able to deliver on the promise of education as a fundamental human right for all children, whether schools are open or closed,” said George Laryea-Adjei, UNICEF Regional Director for South Asia.

Estimates indicate that 4 per cent of schoolchildren in Asia are at risk of dropping out of school due to the pandemic – reversing progress made in school enrolment in recent decades. According to the Report, education budgets in the region will need to increase by an average of 10 per cent to catch up with such losses if Asia is to reach the education targets of the UN 2030 Agenda’s Sustainable Development Goals in the next nine years.

“While major efforts are needed to mitigate the learning loss of those children who return to school in the post-COVID-19 recovery phase, we must also remember that 128 million children in Asia were already out of school at the onset of the pandemic; this figure represents roughly half of all out-of-school children globally. This is a learning crisis which needs to be addressed,” said Shigeru Aoyagi, Director of UNESCO Bangkok.

Malaysia’s Booming Golf Industry, Post-COVID-19

As we get used to the world post-COVID and life after the MCO, the urge for Malaysians to get back on the golf course is strong. According to the "How COVID-19 is Changing Golf in Asia - Playing Habits" 2021 survey by the global research firm Sports Marketing Surveys (SMS), 63 % of Malaysian Golfers surveyed were “Going Crazy” while courses were closed waiting to open up again. 

15% of those surveyed in Malaysia had started the game within the last 3 years reflecting worldwide trends of golf growth during the COVID period. Also, more than half of Malaysian golfers surveyed said they would encourage someone else they know to play golf over the next 12 months. This is most likely to be a golfer’s son, spouse/partner or daughter.

David Wong, CEO and co-founder of Deemples, said, “The demand to play golf via the Deemples platform has been increasing every year but with the flight to safety that golf provides in contrast to other sports, there has been a noticeable increase in interest in golf.  Now that we have made it through the worst of things and people are starting to go out again, we’re seeing a lot of increased activity. In our first full month we have been open, we’re actually close to our peak before the lockdowns.  The results of the SMS survey are validated by what we are experiencing in the marketplace.” 

The face of golf is changing post-pandemic

However, golf as we know it is changing amidst the pandemic. The lockdowns and isolation have fundamentally changed our perspectives that are presenting opportunities. According to the survey, golfers are likely to play with people whom they do not know personally, with the majority of the respondents (71%) stating that they are receptive to playing with strangers if their friends are not available. This shows a stronger willingness to play golf with or without your ‘golf kakis’.

The survey also highlighted that one-third of golfers believe that they would use the clubhouse differently, and over a quarter of them think that the types of group they play in would be different. This is translating into more activity and engagement on the Deemples app, as golfers are now more open to look for games and join groups than prior to the pandemic. Using the mobile app will allow them to widen their circle of golf buddies and help them sustain their passion for golf in the long run.

Golf courses are changing with the times

Golf courses are also increasingly employing the usage of technology and golfing apps. People who may have been reluctant to use digital payments or online booking solutions are now used to it as it had become part of daily life during the MCO. “With everyone going online and businesses going digital, it just makes sense that booking your next round of golf can also be as easy as ordering a bubble tea. The golf courses we work with are confident of seeing golfers be more active than before, given how long it has been since they’ve played” shared David.  

The survey results back this up as more golf members in Asia aim to golf on a golf course (67%) and driving range (53%) after the pandemic is over, presumably to make up for lost time. This should also see a rise in revenue for courses, as over half (51%) of golfers surveyed said that they will spend more in six months to the year.

"How COVID-19 is Changing Golf in Asia - Playing Habits" 2021 survey was run in 3rd Quarter 2021 by the global research firm Sports Marketing Surveys (SMS) and covered Malaysia, Korea, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, Taiwan, India, Singapore and The Philippines.

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Modernising the Batik Industry in Malaysia

The Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), in collaboration with the Malaysian Batik Association, Yayasan Budi Penyayang Malaysia (PENYAYANG), Federation of Malaysian Fashion Textiles and Apparels (FMFTA), and Kraftangan Malaysia, has successfully organised a Batik Week from 25 to 29 October 2021. The five-day virtual programme with the theme mooted on “Revitalising Malaysian Batik Industry”, aimed to elevate the Malaysian Batik through the adoption of new technology and developing green business models. The Malaysian Government recognises the importance of the cottage industry as the national heritage and the nation’s pride, while the expertise of local craftsmen should be preserved and further enhanced.

The Honourable Dato’ Lokman Hakim, the Secretary-General of Ministry of International Trade and Industry said, “The batik industry must be transformed through the adoption of green practices for it to stand out globally. This is critical as it aligns with the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles stipulated in various Government’s policies such as the Twelfth Malaysia Plan, National Investment Aspirations and National Trade Blueprint.”

Mr Arham Abdul Rahman, the Chief Executive Officer of MIDA, highlighted in his welcoming remarks, “Companies should automate and modernise in their bid to reduce overall costs and improve efficiency to compete better, while diversifying their operations into new market”. In line with Malaysia’s IR4.0 initiative, the event explored pathways for local manufacturers, especially SMEs to embrace technology in the processes of batik making.

The event showcased pioneer batik entrepreneurs through ‘Batik Showcase’ and Virtual Factory Tours to display their products and brand identity. The sessions created a platform for participants to understand the manufacturing process flow of the Malaysian Batik and its profound opportunities.

“The Batik Industry in Malaysia has set its evolution in place; the industry has matured and has inspired the production of new motifs and has established more new research methods in the batik production. Over the years, it has propagated and promoted the green principles in the batik technology and has diversified in terms of producing more innovative products,” reiterates Ms Nori Abdullah, Chairman of PENYAYANG.

The event successfully brought together prominent industry stakeholders and more than 500 registered participants including the textile and apparels industry players over the 5 days of Batik Week. In the recent 5 years, MIDA has approved 122 textile and apparels projects with total investments of RM3,174 million, generating 7,538 careers, including skilled positions for engineers, specialised quality controllers and skilled technicians.

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Bad News for Coffee Lovers

Coffee snobs have a lot to worry about right now. A global shortage of beans is already threatening to push up prices at cafes and supermarkets. Now, your morning cappuccino or latte might start leaving a bitter taste for other reasons too.

The world is facing a desperate shortfall of arabica coffee, the variety that gives the smoothest flavour and makes up about 60% of world production. Supplies were decimated after extreme weather destroyed crops, and with a La Nina pattern forecast through early 2022 expected to further hurt yields, it could take years for the market to recover. Arabica prices are surging to reflect the mounting crisis, while global shipping congestion is making it even harder to get beans where they are needed.

Coffee roasters and retailers must now decide whether to increase their own prices. But they’ve got another option too: arabica’s harsher cousin, robusta. Some are already using more of the cheaper variety, which is typically drunk in instant coffees and contains more caffeine that gives it a bitter flavour.  

The crisis has its roots in Brazil, the world’s main supplier of arabica, where once-in-a-generation frosts followed droughts to wreak havoc on the crops. Crucially, it’s not just the current harvest that farmers have to worry about, some have been “stumping” or removing badly damaged trees; newly planted ones will take several years to mature. On top of that, they’re also grappling with surging costs for fertilisers and labour shortages.

Arabica bean prices have spiked by about 80% this year. While researchers and analysts are still busy surveying the remnants of Brazil’s damaged coffee harvest, the reports so far are not encouraging.

While robusta prices have also risen this year, they’ve lagged arabica’s gains and are less than half the price. That makes it increasingly tempting for roasters to use more in their products.

Both varieties have been caught up in the logistics snarl-ups that are gripping the world at the moment. Coffee is shipped in containers, and a global shortage has restricted exports of millions of bags to demand epicentres such as the U.S., Japan and Europe.

Vietnam, the biggest exporter of robusta, is expecting a second bumper crop this year, but freight holdups mean exporters are struggling to ship the beans out. Still, unlike arabica, traders know that it’s just a matter of time and the robusta will hit the market eventually. It’s looking increasingly likely that coffee retail prices are set to rise.