Digital forum to address current trends in business environment

KUALA LUMPUR: The ASEAN Digital Forum 2018, to be held here for the first time, will address current trends and demand in the business environment of digital economy.

ASEAN Traders Association President Datuk Moehamad Izat Emir said the one-day forum scheduled for Nov 23 at the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) would highlight the importance of engaging in the new platform of doing business locally and globally in the next 10 years.

“We will be having captains of the industry addressing various topics on the trend moving forward, as well as well as on how to maintain sustainability on ecommerce business platform and through digital marketing.

“The key speakers include representatives from government agencies such as the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), MATRADE, academia and local business fraternity,” he told Bernama.

Moehamad Izat said since its establishment in May, the association has been very active in organising events to enhance the economic integration among ASEAN member countries, as well as opening more opportunities to the market of over 630 million people.

“It is our aspiration to keep in step with the progress of the digital economy, in line with the government's stride to boost the digital economy, which opens up huge potentials to small and medium enterprises to expand regionally,” he added.

The forum will be organised by the ASEAN Traders Association and supported by, among others, MDEC, MATRADE, the Prime Minister's Department, Facebook, and Fashionvalet.

Datuk Abdul Kadir Jasin, Media and Communication Advisor to the Prime Minister Tun will deliver a keynote address at the forum. This will be followed by the presentation of ASEAN Digital Awards for, among others, Best Digital eNews, Best Mobile Apps, Best eCommerce and Best Digital Advertising.

It was reported that the digital transformation impact on the economy is expected to reach RM400 billion by 2025 and as at 2016, while the digital economy contribution to Malaysia's gross domestic product is at 18.2 per cent.

In his 2019 Budget's presentation last Friday, Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng proposed an allocation of RM1 billion to develop the digital economy, which include the implementation of the National Fiberisation and Connectivity Plan.

Moehamad Izat, who was former Malaysian Malay Businessmen and Industrialists Association Malaysia (Perdasama) President, said this would further boost the digital economy.

He said the ASEAN Traders' Association would assist the economic integration among ASEAN member states in accordance with the ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint.

The blueprint is aimed at achieving a highly integrated and cohesive ASEAN economy that is also competitive, innovative and dynamic, possessed enhanced connectivity and sectoral cooperation; and integrated with the global economy.