Bismillahirrahmannirrahim,

Assalamualaikum wa Rahmatullahi Wabarakatuh,

Salam Sejahtera dan Salam 1 Malaysia,

Mr Cheah Kok Hoong, Chairman, Outsourcing Malaysia,

YBhg Dato’ Lim Han Boon, Organising Chair, Outsourcing Malaysia Excellence Award 2017,

Friends and Colleagues in the Global Business Services (GBS) industry,

Media partners,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Alhamdulillah, let me express my utmost gratitude to Allah Subhanahu Wata’ala, for it is with His Bounty, and His Grace, that all of us are gathered here tonight for the 7th Annual Outsourcing Malaysia Excellence Awards 2017. I wish to express my appreciation to Outsourcing Malaysia, especially the Organising Committee for inviting me to this auspicious and exciting event.

2. I am pleased to note that the strategic partnership that we, in MDEC, have with PIKOM and Outsourcing Malaysia over the last 21 years has been great and the journey that we have ventured together have borne the fruit for the growth of Malaysia’s Global Business Services industry.

3. Many multinationals have set their footprints in Asia which have successfully attracted a good number of shared services practitioners, many of whom are working in Malaysia today. What started off as contact centres leveraging cost-effective resources and multiple languages have today evolved into sophisticated businesses and knowledge-based services that are able to support MNC’s strategic regional agenda.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

4. A large part of Malaysia’s advantage is contributed by strong support from the Government’s business-friendly, multi-pronged approach to ensure the country is attractively positioned amongst international players. This could be seen in 2018 Budget presented by our YAB Prime Minister last Friday where there is continuous strong focus and commitment to accelerate the growth of the Nation as well as enhance the welfare of the Rakyat through Digital Economy, in the era of The Fourth Industrial Revolution.

5. To date, Malaysia has well over 600 Global Business Services centres, with an average of 60 to 65 new centres added each year. This contributes, in part to the overall ICT industry which employs more than 800,000 people. GBS’ growth has helped boost Malaysia’s Digital Economy contribution to hit 18.2% in 2016, a target we had initially set for 2020.

6. With all the resources being made available to the Malaysian services delivery industry, we are very proud to see Malaysia consistently ranked top 3 in AT Kearney’s Global Services Location Index, just behind India and China. This continuous success is credited to Malaysia’s sound performance in terms of financial attractiveness, skills and talent availability, and business environment.

7. While we continue to enjoy these positive merits, we must not rest on our laurels. We must take advantage of the advancement in Robotics Process Automation, Big Data and Artificial Intelligence to propel Malaysia to the next level.

8. Even MNCs like IBM’s GBS unit, which have been in Malaysia since 2011, will now shift from a Global Delivery Centre towards higher value investments in the area of Cognitive and Cloud Computing. The setting-up of IBM’s Centre of Digital Excellence for Artificial Intelligence (CODE) using IBM Watson will focus on artificial intelligence, design-thinking and blockchain technology amongst others, for vertical industries such as healthcare and financial services.

9. Apart from IBM’s catalytic investment, Dassault Systems, a world leader in 3D-design and digital mock-up company from France, has also chosen Malaysia to host their Global Development Centre for 3D Business Experience Platform.

10. These are encouraging developments and we must continue to ride the Digital Economy wave.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

11. We look forward to Outsourcing Malaysia’s continuous strategic partnership to attract cutting-edge catalytic digital technology and services companies to be based in Malaysia. I am pleased to share that MDEC will work closely with the relevant authorities and parties to ensure we remain agile and competitive in order to attract more strategic investments. The opportunities are in abundance for us to grab, hence I encourage all of you here to move fast in transforming our current GBS to move up the Services value chain. More so, there will be endless possibilities once Malaysia kicks off the Digital Free Trade Zone. It will ‘Go Live’ at KLIA Aeropolis tomorrow, celebrating a milestone achievement since its launch in May this year.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

12. The Outsourcing Malaysia Excellence Awards in its seventh year continues to attract active participation from industry players. I was told that this is the second year where the individual awards are running and this is testament that the GBS industry continues to recognise and reward excellent contributors in this sector. It is also good to note that Outsourcing Malaysia Excellence Awards’ standards and practices are based on the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals’ standards organisation. These awards are aimed at buyers, end-users and service providers, who have, individually and collectively, pursued global best practices to craft sustainable value by leveraging outsourcing models.

13. Lastly, I would also like to congratulate all the winners of the Outsourcing Malaysia Excellence Awards 2017, that covers a total of 8 corporate categories and 28 individual categories. l am sure tonight’s awards ceremony will serve to encourage all of you to raise the bar even higher. It is my sincere hope that you will also motivate and excite your peers in the industry, in the pursuit of greater excellence. Once again, to all award winners, Congratulations!

Thank you.

Le Meredian Hotel, Kuala Lumpur

 
Bismillahirrahmannirrahim,

Assalamualaikum wa Rahmatullahi Wabarakatuh,

Salam Sejahtera dan Salam 1 Malaysia,

Mr Cheah Kok Hoong, Chairman, Outsourcing Malaysia,

YBhg Dato’ Lim Han Boon, Organising Chair, Outsourcing Malaysia Excellence Award 2016,

Friends and Colleagues in the Global Business Services (GBS) industry,

Media partners,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Alhamdulillah, let me express utmost gratitude to Allah Subhanahu Wata’ala, for it is with His Bounty, and His Grace, that all of us are gathered here tonight for the 6th Annual Outsourcing Malaysia Excellence Awards 2016. I wish to express my appreciation to Outsourcing Malaysia for the invitation to this auspicious and exciting event.

2. This event, which is specially organised by Outsourcing Malaysia is part of the industry’s endeavor to recognise and celebrate the achievements of industry peers. These awards, are aimed at championing the cause of outsourcing as a key strategic driver for more value creation, as Malaysia continues the push to become a world class location for outsourcing services. These awards, 19 altogether are for service providers as well as buyers and end-users, who individually and collectively pursued best practices to craft sustainable value with the relevant outsourcing models.

3. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Outsourcing Malaysia, particularly, the Organising Committee for an event well done – truly full of glitz and glamour. And, to the award recipients who will be conferred with various awards tonight, Congratulations!

Ladies and Gentlemen,

4. I am pleased to note that since its inception in 2006, Outsourcing Malaysia has actively promoted and developed Malaysia’s outsourcing services industry to be a global hub for high-value outsourcing. As a chapter of PIKOM, Outsourcing Malaysia together with its founding partner, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation or MDEC as well as other supporting agencies, have collaborated together to build a vibrant and strong industry in our country.

5. I am also pleased to note that there are currently 473 active Global Business Services Centres in Malaysia which have created in excess of 88,000 jobs. These include notable global brands such as Hewlett Packard, IBM, Shell, HSBC and GlaxoSmithKline. We also have local brands such as VADS, Scicom, iTalent, iTac, Brandt International and ZicoLaw. In 2015 alone, there were 75 new centres established. A round of applause for those making these a reality. Well done!

Ladies and Gentlemen,

6. The journey and growth of this industry has been remarkable. What started with just contact centres, leveraging on cost-effective resources with multiple languages, have today evolved into sophisticated help desk functions, customer support and knowledge-based services that have been able to support various multinationals’ growth agenda.

7. The GBS industry in Malaysia continues to flourish as highlighted in the AT Kearney’s Global Services Location Index studies for 2016, which ranked Malaysia 3rd out of 55 locations across the globe. Behind only India and China. This achievement is attributed to Malaysia’s solid performance in financial attractiveness, availability of talent and skills, and conducive business environment.

8. However, with various disruptive technologies already on our shores such as Augmented Reality, as well as the rise of independent workforce through Digital Marketplaces, the industry must continue to push towards a higher value chain of the industry.

9. We must go beyond the usual Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) or Information Technology Outsourcing (ITO) into the realms of Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) which is highly knowledge-centric and requires diverse and professional talents. These will include leveraging on Big Data Analytics and Internet of Things amongst others that can potentially establish Regional Centres of Excellence or Research and Development Centres. A truly global business service that serves more complex and dynamic customers.

10. In relation to this, MDEC as the enabler and facilitator of the industry, continues to provide a range of support to further develop the Shared Services and Outsourcing industry for its potential to drive Malaysia’s digital economy. Through its Global Business Services (GBS) Division, MDEC provides integration of services with the best competitive strategy utilising ICT, Finance, Accounting, HR and many more. It has become an essential tool in accelerating and complementing global business services approaches as more companies are leveraging on best practices to align their business objectives and obtain greater economies of scale. Programs such as the Global Acceleration and Innovation Network or in short, GAIN have demonstrated positive impact with notable local Malaysian success stories such as iFlix, MDT Innovations, GHL Global, iPay88, Sedania Group and Fusionex, to name a few. The opportunities are definitely abundant out there, and you must grab them as fast as you can!

11. The Budget 2017 as presented by YAB PM last Friday demonstrated strong commitment of the Government of Malaysia to focus on accelerating growth and enhancing the well being of the Rakyat through Digital Economy. With the plan for Malaysia to be the first country to introduce the Digital Free Trade Zone, it also serves to reinforce the limitless possibilities, hence bigger opportunities for this industry.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

12. It is my sincere hope that tonight’s award ceremony will serve to further encourage all of you in the industry to raise the bar higher.

13. Congratulations once again to the award recipients. I am confident that you will continue to inspire others in the enduring quest for greater excellence.

Thank you.