The 6th Outsourcing Malaysia Excellence Awards 2016 Gala Night

Wednesday, 26 October 2016

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.