Malaysia has been nicely grown and shaped with the strategic five-year development master plans. Vision 2020 is the ultimate backdrop of these programs. It is a national agenda that sets out specific goals and objectives for long-term development. The chief architect of this vision is Malaysia's Prime Minister of 16 years, Dato' Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad ( What is the MSC? ). Malaysians have responded vigorously to his challenge to become a fully developed, matured and knowledge-rich society by year 2020.
To achieve the vision, Malaysia has embarked on an ambitious plan to leap into the Information Age by providing intellectual and strategic leadership. Therefore, Malaysia welcomes the advent of the Information Age with its promise of a new world order where information, ideas, people, goods and services move across borders in the most cost-effective and liberal ways. As traditional boundaries disappear, and as companies, capital, consumers, communications and cultures become truly global, telecommunication in Malaysia will be transformed into a new appearance. Besides, Malaysians' living standard will become magnificent. Malaysians have to be open and pragmatic in dealing with change, and are committed to working with other world citizens to encourage creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship.
As the first step, Malaysia has created the Multimedia Super Corridor to help companies of the world test the limits of technology and prepare themselves for the future. The MSC will also accelerate Malaysia's entry into the Information Age, and through it, help actualize Vision 2020 ( What is the MSC? ). MSC is a length of greenfield " corridor ", 15 kilometers wide and 50 kilometers long, that starts from the Kuala Lumpur City Center ( KLCC ), itself and intelligent precinct, which houses the world's tallest buildings - down south to the site of the region's largest international airport, the Kuala Lumpur International Airport ( KLIA ), which will be commissioned in 1998. The MSC location and boundary include Petaling Jaya, KLCC, Klang, Pelabuhan Klang, KLIA, Selat Melaka, Seremban, CyberJaya, Coastal Highway, Shah Alam Expressway, Federal Highway, South Klang Valley Expressway, Seremban Highway, North-South Link, Pulau Carey, Kajang, Semenyih, Sepang, Salak, Banting, Telok Datok, Telok Panglima Garang, Dengkil, Beranang, Port Dickson, Airport City, Bandar Baru Bangi, Shah Alam, Country Heights, Bandar Baru Nilai, Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi, Putrajaya, Pulau Indah and KL Tower ( Abdul Majid Abdullah ).
Two of the world's first
Smart Cities are being developed in the Corridor, Putrajaya and CyberJaya.
Putrajaya, the new seat of government and administrative capital of Malaysia,
the concepts of electronic government will be introduced. CyberJaya, an
intelligent city with multimedia industries, R&D centers, a Multimedia
University and operational headquarters for multinationals wishing to direct
their worldwide manufacturing and trading activities using multimedia technology
( Andrew 22 ).
What will the MSC future be? First, it will be a vehicle for attracting world-class technology-led companies such as Microsoft Corporation from United States, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation from Japan and so forth to Malaysia, and developing local industries. Besides, MSC is a Multimedia Utopia offering a productive, intelligent environment within which a multimedia value chain of goods and services will be produced and delivered across the globe. Furthermore, an island of excellence with multimedia-specific capabilities, technologies, infrastructure, legislation, policies, and systems for competitive advantage will the MSC be. Moreover, it will also be a test bed for invention, research, and other groundbreaking multimedia developments spearheaded by 7 multimedia applications. In addition, Malaysians will be staying in a global community which is living on the leading-edge of the Information Society. MSC will be a world of Smart Homes, Smart Cities, Smart Schools, Smart Cards and Smart Partnerships in its bright future.
The Multimedia Development
Corporation envisions a 20-year time frame for the full implementation
and execution of the MSC, when Malaysia will have achieved leadership in
the Information Age. There will be three phases of activity.
Phase1 - Under this phase, the MDC will successfully create the Multimedia
Super Corridor, attract a core group of world-class companies, launch seven
Flagship Applications, put in place a world-leading framework of cyberlaws,
and establish CyberJaya and Putrajaya as world-first intelligent cities
( Andrew 49 ).
Phase 2 - The MDC envisages that during this period, it will link the
MSC to other cyber cities in Malaysia and the world. It will create a web
of corridors and establish a second cluster of world-class companies. It
will also set global standards in flagship applications, champion cyberlaws
within the global society, and establish a number of intelligent globally
linked cities ( Andrew 51 ).
Phase 3 - During this final phase, it is expected that Malaysia will
be transformed into a knowledge-based society - being a true global test
bed for new multimedia and IT applications and a cradle for a record number
of multimedia companies. It will have a cluster of intelligent cities linked
to the global information super highway, and become the platform for the
International Cybercourt of Justice ( Andrew 53 ).
There are four key elements that must not be excluded to accomplish MSC. First, leading-edge soft infrastructure which includes highly attractive incentives, unrestricted import of foreign knowledge workers, the first world's comprehensive framework of "cyber-laws", world's first Multimedia Convergence Act and a sharper focus on multimedia education. It ensures that all schools have access to Internet. As Malaysia is short of IT expertise, it will need foreign experts and firms to make the corridor a success. Hence, Dr. Mahathir has promised there will be no restrictions on foreign ownership and employment restriction ( The Strait Times ). Second, top quality physical development in CyberJaya, Malaysia's first major MSC-designated cybercity designed from the ground up. CyberJaya will become Asia's most advanced IT city with stage-of-the-art intelligent buildings and urban systems. Besides, it will also provide top quality residential housing, leisure or entertainment facilities, schools, hospitals, and transport infrastructure. There will be 150,000 working people and more than 100,000 residents in IT city ( The Strait Times ). Third, World-class IT network consisting of a high-speed backbone ( 2.5-10 Gb ), and the most cost-competitive and innovative telecommunication tariffs offered to MSC companies. A high capacity fibre will link from MSC to Japan, US, Europe, ASEAN. In addition, there will be a 100% digital open multimedia network supporting multiple interfaces or protocols ( Abdul Majid Abdullah ). Fourth, best multimedia environment in Asia ensured by MDC - an empowered one-stop "super-shop" to ensure that companies interested in the MSC get what they need to succeed by providing information and advice on the MSC, and assisting in expediting permit and license approvals ( MDC homepage ). Lastly, world class multimedia applications, the seven flagships application, i.e. world-first multi-purpose card, electronic government, smartschools, telemedicine, R&D clusters, world wide manufacturing web and borderless marketing center ( Multimedia Super Corridor ).
The success of MSC will bring us changes in diverse fields such as medicine, education, communication, commerce, government administration, and research and development ( R&D ).
"Part of the success of the Civil Service in introducing management and administrative reforms is the result of the increasingly widespread use og the information technology. Attention will continue to be focused on expanding the use of the latest technology, in the overall effort towards achieving a paperless Civil Service, and the implementation of Electronic Government as part of the development of the Multimedia Super Corridor." ( Tan Sri Dato' Abdul Halim bin Ali - Chief Secretary to the Government of Malaysia )
Electronic Government will improve both how the government operates internally as well as how it delivers services to the people of Malaysia. It seeks to improve the convenience, accessibility, and quality of interactions with citizens and businesses; simultaneously, it will improve information flows and processes within government to improve the speed and quality of policy development, coordination, and enforcement. Electronic Government will play and essential role in catalyzing the MSC's development, as well as furthering the social, political and economic agenda under Vision 2020.
"Companies participating in the MSC will be able to excel in their regional and global businesses because the Corridor offers an excellent technological infrastructure in addition to a broad spectrum of other favorable conditions. This will allow creative and innovative companies to take full advantage of the vast opportunities to build new businesses and shape new industries in electronic commerce, telemarketing, digital broadcasting and information services. Malaysia's central Asia-Pacific location will underpin the success of companies planning to participate in creating a hub for Borderless Marketing." ( Tan Sri Dato' Dr Othman Yeop Abdullah - Executive Chairman Multimedia Development Corporation )
Borderless Marketing is a new frontier in commerce. The Borderless Marketing Flagship Application is developed on the premise that multimedia technology can be used by businesses to more efficiently and better serve their customers across different time zones, and effectively reach out to new customers. The traditional barriers of time, space and form will be eliminated in the process by the use of technology. Borderless Marketing is an initiative designed to create an environment in the MSC for companies to use multimedia technology to create and deliver marketing messages, customers services, and information products to their multicultural and multinational customers. Four key focus area have been identified for development: Telemarketing, Online Information Services, Electronic Commerce, and Digital Broadcasting.
"Malaysia's Telemedicine initiative is not just point-to-point teleconsultation. It incorporates the full spectrum of multimedia technologies to bring about benefits to all players in the health sector. It will transform the healthcare services and shape new relationships between people and their healthcare providers. This will be known as telehealth." ( Dato' Chua Jui Meng - The Minister of Health, Malaysia )
The Telemedicine initiative aims to keep people in the "wellness" paradigm. Through the seamless availability of health information and virtual health services, the way healthcare services are delivered and accessed will dramatically change. Telemedicine aims to go beyond the traditional delivery modes to provide greater access to smoother and higher quality healthcare to all Malaysians. By taking advantages of existing multimedia and information technology, and also developing new technological solutions, this MSC Flagship Application will ensure Malaysians enjoy a high quality of healthcare. It will also support the development of Malaysia into a global hub for Telemedicine services. To Malaysians, the new processes will dramatically improve information and access to healthcare. Linkages with other Flagship Applications and agencies will also support the delivery of health services and lead to more effective use of resources throughout the country.
"Malaysia recognizes that fundamental tot he continued success of the MSC is its ability to promote and sustain world-class R&D in multimedia products, technologies and services. To this end, we are strongly committed to provide and support R&D with particular emphasis on new modes of partnerships, linking the key players in the MSC." ( Datuk Law Hieng Ding - The Minister of Science, Technology and the Environment, Malaysia )
The R&D Cluster Flagship Application will help to ensure that the MSC is an attractive location for companies to develop nest-generation multimedia technologies and innovations. Three core elements of the R&D Cluster Flagship will help to achieve this: first, the encouragement of corporate R&D; second, the creation of a new Multimedia University; and third, the development of large scale of R&D pilot projects. The Flagship Application will also help improve Malaysia's human resource development, provide a huge test-bed for experimenting with innovation, promote, indigenous technology, and encourage technology transfer to Malaysia.
"In an increasingly competitive global environment, revolutionizing the manufacturing processes will spur the development of highly competitive industries leaders. The Multimedia Super Corridor will provide an ideal environment for breakthroughs and innovation which are crucial for the competitive edge." ( Dato' Seri Rafidah Aziz - The Minister International Trade and Industry, Malaysia )
The World-wide Manufacturing Web (WMW) Flagship Application aims to provide a conducive environment for this high value-added manufacturing activities to be pursued using multimedia and information technology. The WMW is a government initiative to provide the optimum environment for manufacturing and manufacturing-service companies utilizing multimedia technology to create and deliver value-added services and products to their customers around the globe. This will eventually create a "web" of manufacturing-related service operations that will reach for beyond Malaysia and the Southeast Asian region.
"With smart collaboration between government agencies and the private sector, the development of Malaysia's Multimedia Purpose Card (MPC) will offer tremendous opportunities to provide the most cost-effective and efficient ways of delivering services. This will enhance synergies, improve work processes, yield cost savings and further enhance customers services." ( Tan Sri Dato' Ahmad Mohd Don Governor, Bank Negara Malaysia )
Multi Purpose Card is a tool
for the Information Age. In its physical form, the MPC will be a plastic
card embedded with chip or microprocessor that has the capability to perform
a wide range of functions, including data processing, storage and file
management. The new smart chip not only contains information that is more
secured - which makes it more difficult to tamper with, counterfeit, or
modify - but it also has more memory than current information systems.
Targeted for full commercial release before the year 2000, the MPC will
radically improve the ease with which ordinary Malaysians conduct routine
transactions with government and private companies. It will also be symbolically
important as a tool of the Information Age. By the year 2000, Malaysia
and its partners in the MSC will be recognized as world leaders in smart-card
technology. The Multi Purpose Card will be tested at the 1998 Commonwealth
Games in Kuala Lumpur. Eight Applications have been selected for inclusion
in the initial MPC roll out, including the national ID, driving license,
immigration, health card, electronic cash, debit, ATM, and credit card.
Since 1987, Malaysia has liberalized its telecommunication sector.
As a further measure to contribute to its rapid growth, multiple suppliers
of basic and value-added services have been licensed over the past few
years. There is also a move among these service providers to go into more
state-of-the-art services such as video-conferencing, telecommerce and
teleservices. The presents major opportunities for joint ventures to develop
new products and services to serve the burgeoning global demand for telecommunication.
Supporting the MSC is a high-capacity, digital telecommunications infrastructure designed to the highest international standards in capacity, reliability, and pricing. This information network is part of and integrated logistics hub enabling rapid distribution of products along modern land, air, and sea links. Key telecommunications network features that will link the MSC to regional and global centers include:
First, a fiber-optic backbone with an unprecedented 2.5-10 gigabits per second capacity, which is more than enough network power to support virtual boardrooms, remote CAD/CAM operations, and live multimedia internet broadcasting. Just try to imagine. At the present, we are usually connected to Internet at 33,600 bytes per second, but in the future, we can connect to Internet at more than 2,500,000,000 bytes per second. It is like all the data in a 2.5 gigabits hard disk of our computer flow to us in just a second. Second, high-capacity links to international centers to ensure that information, products, and services flow freely and quickly between MSC companies, their overseas partners, and export markets. Third, open standards, high-speed switching, and multimedia protocols including ATM that bring power and flexibility to the development and implementation of multimedia applications. Fourth, best-in-class performance guarantees including installation of telephone services within 24 hours, ATM circuits within five days, and 99.9 per cent service availability. Fifth, competitive telecommunications pricing including flat-rate, low pricing for basic network services compared with other regional centers, and an open-entry policy for value-added network services to ensure the MSC maintains its competitive edge. Sixth, integration into the new transportation projects such as a dual "smart" highway and rapid transit rail system, linking the new MSC cities of Putrajaya and Cyberjaya with Kuala Lumpur and the Kuala Lumpur International Airport ( KLIA ).
Technological developments:
hardware, networks, software and application, has enabled Multimedia services
to be accelerated and turned dreams and visions into reality. On the other
hand, living, socializing and working in the future will be different.
Technology will be the enabler. In short, Multimedia is fast becoming a
reality. It is affecting all aspects of our life. It is changing the way
we live, the way we play, the way we work and the way do our business.
Bibliography
Books
1) " A Quantum Leap " Andrew A L Tan 1997
2) "Information Malaysia 1997 Year Book " Hashim Hj. Md. Isa 1997
Newspaper
1) The Straits Times, Thursday, August 8, 1996
Internet
1) " What is the MSC? "
http://www1.mdc.com.my/msc/
2) Malaysia's Multimedia Super Corridor ( MSC )
http://www2.jaring.my/msia/rnd/msc.html
3) Slides of MSC by Abdul Majid Abdullah ( Presented to UNCTAD Conference
)
4) MDC homepage
http://www.mdc.com/
5) The Multimedia Super Corridor
http://web.mit.edu/nguyent/www.msc.html
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