KUALA LUMPUR: A team of two to three students from 10 chosen schools from Selangor, Pahang, Sabah, Perak, Johor and Kuala Lumpur will attend an animation workshop, organised by the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) and Disney Channels Southeast Asia.
MDeC, the guardian of the MSC Malaysia initiative, are in the process of working with the education departments of the respective states to identify the schools.
After the schools are identified, the school teachers will then identify the students who will take part in the workshop.
During the five-day workshop, the students age 10 to 14, will get to use animation software to create a two-minute clip based on their own “alien encounter,” inspired by Stitch, the Disney character from the 2002 movie.
MDeC would not reveal the animation software titles to be used but said that it would be of professional standard.
The workshops will be conducted by MDeC staff and local animation talents.
Saifol Bahri, MDeC industry development division vice-president said the workshop will give students the opportunity to learn 2D animation and the basic techniques of creating an animation clip.
“It’s a great opportunity for students to show of their creativity,” he said.
Six clips will enter the finals, and the winning clip will be shown on the Astro Disney Channel. The winner will also win a trip to Disneyland Hong Kong. The workshops will take place from January to June next year.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
NEWS: 電腦程序員設交流平台 上網分享遇劫經歷
（吉隆坡25日訊）一名電腦程序員，在網站開設一個讓公眾提供和分享國內罪案情報的網址，借此作為一個交流平台，互相防範和警戒！
創辦人顏君怡是聯合amax wimax公司贊助，開設一個《www.malaysiacrime.com》網站，讓公眾自由登入，提供本身遇劫經過詳情或情報，讓所有大馬人都能掌握罪案演進和罪案地區。
朋友遇劫斷尾指
他今日召開記者會說，公眾無須用真實姓名登記，也不用出示報案紙，主要是所提供的情報，可作為一種警惕作用。
他本身是一名電腦程序員，在二三年前已有此創意，直到今年3月一名朋友遇劫后，才開始實現這項構思。
“當時我的一名朋友是在靈市地區健身后步行回家時，被摩哆騎士匪徒持駕駛鎖攻擊搶劫，導致他在自衛時尾指斷落，自行到醫院求救后因尾指遺留在現場，結果再步行現場取尾指。”
他說，雖然其朋友尾指事后可以駁回，並將經歷寫在面子書內，不過他覺得應將劫案寫在網站分享，讓民眾預訪防和警惕作用。
他說，迄今該網站的情報雖較多來自報章和摘自其他網站新聞，不過歡迎公眾踴躍登入，提供情報和分享經歷過程。
創辦人顏君怡是聯合amax wimax公司贊助，開設一個《www.malaysiacrime.com》網站，讓公眾自由登入，提供本身遇劫經過詳情或情報，讓所有大馬人都能掌握罪案演進和罪案地區。
朋友遇劫斷尾指
他今日召開記者會說，公眾無須用真實姓名登記，也不用出示報案紙，主要是所提供的情報，可作為一種警惕作用。
他本身是一名電腦程序員，在二三年前已有此創意，直到今年3月一名朋友遇劫后，才開始實現這項構思。
“當時我的一名朋友是在靈市地區健身后步行回家時，被摩哆騎士匪徒持駕駛鎖攻擊搶劫，導致他在自衛時尾指斷落，自行到醫院求救后因尾指遺留在現場，結果再步行現場取尾指。”
他說，雖然其朋友尾指事后可以駁回，並將經歷寫在面子書內，不過他覺得應將劫案寫在網站分享，讓民眾預訪防和警惕作用。
他說，迄今該網站的情報雖較多來自報章和摘自其他網站新聞，不過歡迎公眾踴躍登入，提供情報和分享經歷過程。
NEWS: Pikom: Prioritise English
PETALING JAYA: Pikom, The National Information and Communications Technology Association of Malaysia, strongly feels that English should continue to be the language of choice for communication in the private sector, government linked companies (GLCs) and Government agencies.
Pikom president CJ Ang said that with the outsourcing industry expecting to recruit 300,000 Malaysians by 2012, having an English-speaking workforce is essential.
This is especially so when it comes to servicing global clients in the United States and Europe where the bulk of the outsourcing jobs come from, he said.
“Some of the much sought-after jobs in the outsourcing industry are call centre, payroll processing, finance and accounting — all of which need English competency,” he added.
With the rapid pace of globalisation and the high cost of doing business, companies are using the Web to expand its business across borders.
“In order to stay competitive, Malaysians must have a good command of English,” he said.
Pikom believes that there is no other alternative if Malaysia’s vision of being a fully developed and a knowledge-based economy by 2020 is to be achieved.
Pikom was responding to a recent statement made by Education Deputy Minister, Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi, who said that Malaysians should use Bahasa Malaysia and not English in all communications in the private sector and GLCs.
Pikom president CJ Ang said that with the outsourcing industry expecting to recruit 300,000 Malaysians by 2012, having an English-speaking workforce is essential.
This is especially so when it comes to servicing global clients in the United States and Europe where the bulk of the outsourcing jobs come from, he said.
“Some of the much sought-after jobs in the outsourcing industry are call centre, payroll processing, finance and accounting — all of which need English competency,” he added.
With the rapid pace of globalisation and the high cost of doing business, companies are using the Web to expand its business across borders.
“In order to stay competitive, Malaysians must have a good command of English,” he said.
Pikom believes that there is no other alternative if Malaysia’s vision of being a fully developed and a knowledge-based economy by 2020 is to be achieved.
Pikom was responding to a recent statement made by Education Deputy Minister, Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi, who said that Malaysians should use Bahasa Malaysia and not English in all communications in the private sector and GLCs.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
NEWS: Government grants for researchers
THE Government will consider providing matching grants to local researchers who obtain grants from the industry, multinational corporations and international institutions.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said that the ministry had recommended this under the 10th Malaysia Plan to ensure continuity in quality research.
“These one-to-one ratio grants which we proposed mirror the grant scheme of advanced nations,” he said after opening the ministry’s Integrity Day.
Mohamed Khaled (second from left) and ministry secretary-general Datuk Dr Zulkefli A. Hassan (left) after opening the ministry’s Integrity Day at the Malaysian Institute of Integrity. With them are Suriah Mamat and Elmi Nizam (right) from the institute.
“This will reflect the Government’s commitment as a research partner and strengthen the national innovation chain.”
It is learnt that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had agreed in principle to the recommendation.
Mohamed Khaled added that the ministry would identify six research clusters to maximise the value of research projects by fostering collaboration amongst local researchers.
“We have around 20,000 academic staff and 1,600 professors nationwide,” he said. “Much of the research in local IPTs (Institutions of Higher Learning) is done in isolation at the moment and we should foster an environment for greater collaboration.”
However, Mohamed Khaled urged public IPTs to foster greater industry collaboration on research projects to minimise their dependence on government funding.
Presently, funding for researchers stem from the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme, which has an allocation of around RM250mil.
Greater investment in science and technology endeavours and the formation of research clusters are two of the eight main agendas the ministry is recommending under the 10th Malaysia Plan.
Other agendas include providing greater access to higher education by enhancing the role played by private IPTs, establishing Malaysia as a knowledge and innovation hub by tapping new student markets and providing autonomy to research institutions in parent IPTs.
The remaining agendas include encouraging local academicians to obtain postgraduate qualifications locally, nurturing the creativity and potential of Malaysian students and ensuring that public IPTs are able to manage their own financial destinies.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Khaled also said that Malaysia had proposed the setting up of a training centre for quality assessors of OIC (Organisation of Islamic Countries) member nations.
Feedback had been positive as Malaysia has had a decade of experience through efforts by the National Accreditation Board, and subsequently, the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA), he said after the Round Table Meeting of OIC Quality Assurance Agencies last week.
The centre will be managed by the MQA and will provide short courses, training workshops and work attachments.
“The centre would be housed in the MQA or at a public IPT,”said Mohamed Khaled.
Fourty-nine participants from 29 OIC nations and observers from Cambodia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Morocco and Thailand participated in the meeting aimed at fostering greater convergence of accreditation and quality assessment amongst the respective agencies.
It is learnt that 14 out of 57 OIC nations have quality assurance agencies for higher education while another 12 countries are in the midst of forming them.
The round table discussion was the result of a meeting of Education and Higher Education ministers of OIC nations which took place at Baku, Azerbaijan, in October last year.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said that the ministry had recommended this under the 10th Malaysia Plan to ensure continuity in quality research.
“These one-to-one ratio grants which we proposed mirror the grant scheme of advanced nations,” he said after opening the ministry’s Integrity Day.
Mohamed Khaled (second from left) and ministry secretary-general Datuk Dr Zulkefli A. Hassan (left) after opening the ministry’s Integrity Day at the Malaysian Institute of Integrity. With them are Suriah Mamat and Elmi Nizam (right) from the institute.
“This will reflect the Government’s commitment as a research partner and strengthen the national innovation chain.”
It is learnt that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had agreed in principle to the recommendation.
Mohamed Khaled added that the ministry would identify six research clusters to maximise the value of research projects by fostering collaboration amongst local researchers.
“We have around 20,000 academic staff and 1,600 professors nationwide,” he said. “Much of the research in local IPTs (Institutions of Higher Learning) is done in isolation at the moment and we should foster an environment for greater collaboration.”
However, Mohamed Khaled urged public IPTs to foster greater industry collaboration on research projects to minimise their dependence on government funding.
Presently, funding for researchers stem from the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme, which has an allocation of around RM250mil.
Greater investment in science and technology endeavours and the formation of research clusters are two of the eight main agendas the ministry is recommending under the 10th Malaysia Plan.
Other agendas include providing greater access to higher education by enhancing the role played by private IPTs, establishing Malaysia as a knowledge and innovation hub by tapping new student markets and providing autonomy to research institutions in parent IPTs.
The remaining agendas include encouraging local academicians to obtain postgraduate qualifications locally, nurturing the creativity and potential of Malaysian students and ensuring that public IPTs are able to manage their own financial destinies.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Khaled also said that Malaysia had proposed the setting up of a training centre for quality assessors of OIC (Organisation of Islamic Countries) member nations.
Feedback had been positive as Malaysia has had a decade of experience through efforts by the National Accreditation Board, and subsequently, the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA), he said after the Round Table Meeting of OIC Quality Assurance Agencies last week.
The centre will be managed by the MQA and will provide short courses, training workshops and work attachments.
“The centre would be housed in the MQA or at a public IPT,”said Mohamed Khaled.
Fourty-nine participants from 29 OIC nations and observers from Cambodia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Morocco and Thailand participated in the meeting aimed at fostering greater convergence of accreditation and quality assessment amongst the respective agencies.
It is learnt that 14 out of 57 OIC nations have quality assurance agencies for higher education while another 12 countries are in the midst of forming them.
The round table discussion was the result of a meeting of Education and Higher Education ministers of OIC nations which took place at Baku, Azerbaijan, in October last year.
NEWS: We are the champions
IT WAS a nail-biting situation for Benjamin Phang Shin Yoong and his team mates John Leong and Tan Cheng En moments before their school was announced the winner in the Primary School Open Category at the World Robot Olympiad (WRO) 2009 in Pohang, South Korea.
“We were nervous as the entries from the other countries were good,” said Benjamin, a Year Five pupil from SJKC Jalan Davidson, Kuala Lumpur.
“When the announcement for the second place winner was announced, we were excited that we might have a chance, yet a little apprehensive that we might lose.
Muhyiddin checks out SJKC Jalan Davidson’s winning project at the World Robot Olympiad 2009 while senior ministry officials look on.
“So when they called out our school’s name, we were simply ecstatic and couldn’t stop jumping for joy,” he said.
SJKC Jalan Davidson had won a gold medal in the Primary School open category at the olympiad as well as a Special Award for the superb performance of the team.
“We worked on our project for six months,” he said.
Music that was incorporated into the team’s robot project came from the angklung (a musical instrument made of bamboo) and special computer software, he added.
SMK Methodist Tanjung Malim, Perak Form Four classmates Michael Goh Joon Seng, Wong Shun Yi and Nur Hazirah Mohd Razali had brainstormed with their teacher Lau Yoke Yin on ideas for their project.
Muhyiddin and senior ministry officials pose with the Malaysian contingent, which participated at the World Robot Olympiad 2009 in Korea last week and were named overall champion.
“We finally decided on a robot spray painter which could paint any object and spray in any direction,” said Michael.
SMK Methodist won a gold medal in the Upper Secondary School category and a special award. The team from SMK St Francis Malacca comprising Form Three students Lee Kin Onn, Teng Wai Huang and Tan Ee Jun Johnston were given the Excellent Award for their project, RoboMJ, which was designed to honour the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson.
“We are disappointed that we did not win but plan to try again next year,” said Kin Onn.
Johnston said their creation was a robot which could move its hands, legs and even its head to the songs of the legend.
Thanks to the performance of the three schools which won two gold medals, two special awards and the excellent award, Malaysia was named the overall champion at the olympiad.
The SMK Methodist Tanjung Malim team pose with the Education Ministry’s School Management Division director Datuk Zulkifly Mohd Wazir (left), who was head of the contingent to South Korea.
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said he was very proud of the students’ achievements.
“This means our students’ abilities are not just on par, but better than those in developed countries,” he said after celebrating the success of the Malaysian contingent at the ministry last week.
Muhyiddin, who is also the Education Minister, said the recognition had put Malaysia on the world stage.
He said Malaysia would look into the suggestion that it hosts the competition in future.
“We can look into this as our success will motivate more students to take a keener interest in subjects like Physics, Science and Engineering,” he said.
The Malaysian contingent comprised two primary and four secondary school teams.
They competed in two categories at the olympiad with the theme ‘Artist Robot’.
The other teams which represented Malaysia at the olympiad were SJKC Yuk Chai, Petaling Jaya; SMK Mantin, Negri Sembilan; and SM Sains Sabah, Kota Kinabalu.
The teams representing Malaysia were winners in the National Robotics Competition (NRC) held last month.
Organised by the Education Ministry, the National Science Centre and Sasbadi Sdn Bhd, the competition’s objective was to help students build a solid foundation in Mathematics, Science, Technology, Design and ICT.
Sasbadi’s managing director Law King Hui said this was the third consecutive year that a Malaysian school had won the first prize in the Upper Secondary School Open category at the olympiad.
“We were nervous as the entries from the other countries were good,” said Benjamin, a Year Five pupil from SJKC Jalan Davidson, Kuala Lumpur.
“When the announcement for the second place winner was announced, we were excited that we might have a chance, yet a little apprehensive that we might lose.
Muhyiddin checks out SJKC Jalan Davidson’s winning project at the World Robot Olympiad 2009 while senior ministry officials look on.
“So when they called out our school’s name, we were simply ecstatic and couldn’t stop jumping for joy,” he said.
SJKC Jalan Davidson had won a gold medal in the Primary School open category at the olympiad as well as a Special Award for the superb performance of the team.
“We worked on our project for six months,” he said.
Music that was incorporated into the team’s robot project came from the angklung (a musical instrument made of bamboo) and special computer software, he added.
SMK Methodist Tanjung Malim, Perak Form Four classmates Michael Goh Joon Seng, Wong Shun Yi and Nur Hazirah Mohd Razali had brainstormed with their teacher Lau Yoke Yin on ideas for their project.
Muhyiddin and senior ministry officials pose with the Malaysian contingent, which participated at the World Robot Olympiad 2009 in Korea last week and were named overall champion.
“We finally decided on a robot spray painter which could paint any object and spray in any direction,” said Michael.
SMK Methodist won a gold medal in the Upper Secondary School category and a special award. The team from SMK St Francis Malacca comprising Form Three students Lee Kin Onn, Teng Wai Huang and Tan Ee Jun Johnston were given the Excellent Award for their project, RoboMJ, which was designed to honour the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson.
“We are disappointed that we did not win but plan to try again next year,” said Kin Onn.
Johnston said their creation was a robot which could move its hands, legs and even its head to the songs of the legend.
Thanks to the performance of the three schools which won two gold medals, two special awards and the excellent award, Malaysia was named the overall champion at the olympiad.
The SMK Methodist Tanjung Malim team pose with the Education Ministry’s School Management Division director Datuk Zulkifly Mohd Wazir (left), who was head of the contingent to South Korea.
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said he was very proud of the students’ achievements.
“This means our students’ abilities are not just on par, but better than those in developed countries,” he said after celebrating the success of the Malaysian contingent at the ministry last week.
Muhyiddin, who is also the Education Minister, said the recognition had put Malaysia on the world stage.
He said Malaysia would look into the suggestion that it hosts the competition in future.
“We can look into this as our success will motivate more students to take a keener interest in subjects like Physics, Science and Engineering,” he said.
The Malaysian contingent comprised two primary and four secondary school teams.
They competed in two categories at the olympiad with the theme ‘Artist Robot’.
The other teams which represented Malaysia at the olympiad were SJKC Yuk Chai, Petaling Jaya; SMK Mantin, Negri Sembilan; and SM Sains Sabah, Kota Kinabalu.
The teams representing Malaysia were winners in the National Robotics Competition (NRC) held last month.
Organised by the Education Ministry, the National Science Centre and Sasbadi Sdn Bhd, the competition’s objective was to help students build a solid foundation in Mathematics, Science, Technology, Design and ICT.
Sasbadi’s managing director Law King Hui said this was the third consecutive year that a Malaysian school had won the first prize in the Upper Secondary School Open category at the olympiad.
NEWS: Personal data protection bill tabled in Parliament
KUALA LUMPUR: The Personal Data Protection Bill 2009 aimed at protecting public interests with regard to processing personal data was tabled in the Dewan Rakyat on Thursday.
In tabling the bill for the first reading, Deputy Information Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum said the bill consisted of 146 clauses and 11 sections.
The bill, among others, is aimed at regulating personal data processing in commercial transactions by users to protect the owners, and as such, protect their interest, he said.
According to the bill, as new technology and changes in market trend contributed to the growing importance of knowledge in the global economy, personal data in commercial transaction was becoming a valuable commodity.
This adds pressure in regulating data processing in efforts to enhance consumers’ confidence in the global economy.
The bill provides for the appointment of a personal data protection commissioner and the setting up of an advisory committee to advise the commissioner on the enforcement of the Act.
A tribunal will also be set up under the bill to enable offenders to appeal against decisions made by the commissioner.
The second section of the bill spells out provisions on personal data protection.
Among them, Section 5(1) states that personal data processing must adhere to the personal data protection principles, namely the general, notice, choice, due diligence, security, storage, integrity and access principles.
A personal data user faces imprisonment up to two years jail or a fine up to RM300,000 or both, if convicted under the Act. -- Bernama
In tabling the bill for the first reading, Deputy Information Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum said the bill consisted of 146 clauses and 11 sections.
The bill, among others, is aimed at regulating personal data processing in commercial transactions by users to protect the owners, and as such, protect their interest, he said.
According to the bill, as new technology and changes in market trend contributed to the growing importance of knowledge in the global economy, personal data in commercial transaction was becoming a valuable commodity.
This adds pressure in regulating data processing in efforts to enhance consumers’ confidence in the global economy.
The bill provides for the appointment of a personal data protection commissioner and the setting up of an advisory committee to advise the commissioner on the enforcement of the Act.
A tribunal will also be set up under the bill to enable offenders to appeal against decisions made by the commissioner.
The second section of the bill spells out provisions on personal data protection.
Among them, Section 5(1) states that personal data processing must adhere to the personal data protection principles, namely the general, notice, choice, due diligence, security, storage, integrity and access principles.
A personal data user faces imprisonment up to two years jail or a fine up to RM300,000 or both, if convicted under the Act. -- Bernama
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
NEWS: Microsoft lights another Spark
KUALA LUMPUR: Software giant Microsoft Corp has introduced yet another programme to spark the entrepreneurial spirit in young website designers.
The latest addition to the Microsoft Spark technopreneur start-up programme in Malaysia is the Microsoft WebsiteSpark, which aims to help website professionals and developers turn their dream job into a thriving business.
The WebSpark programme will equip smaller website developers, which have 10 employees or less, with Microsoft’s best tools including Silverlight that is touted as the alternative to the popular webpage building component, Flash, without any upfront cost.
The WebsiteSpark programme is part of a RM3.5bil investment from Microsoft Malaysia to give technopreneurs here a boost.
Peter Tam, director of local software innovations, Microsoft Malaysia said the programme is one of the steps the company is taking to encourage entrepreneurship among talented Malaysians.
“One of the most critical components for a knowledge-based economy is a vibrant entrepreneurial community but many smaller operations find it hard to afford the proper building blocks to design a good website,” he said at start of the Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) last week.
Tam added that although it seems natural for businesses to have a website in the 21st century economy, there are about one million local businesses that do not have their own website.
“We see this as an opportunity for web pros and developers to seize and the programme can help them along the way,” Tam said.
Tam also hopes that the programme will help smaller website developers improve on their design skills and create better sites than what they have developed in the past.
“Due to either budget or resource constraints, smaller developers tend to come up with static and unappealing websites that people find hard to trust,” he said adding that the tools offered in the WebsiteSpark programme may add a dash of professionalism into their designs.
To add more clout in its drive to encourage entrepreneurship among youths, Microsoft Malaysia has also joined forces with Warisan Global Sdn Bhd, the country host of the GEW in the FastTrac programme.
The FastTrac programme was developed by the Ewing Kauffman Foundation, a US-based organisation that is focused on entrepreneurial success tohelping entrepreneurs achieve success.
Malaysia is the first country outside the United States to offer this programme and the Microsoft WebsiteSpark programme will be offered to participants of the FastTrac Tech Venture programme.
“With this partnership, we are expecting to create and benefit 200 new companies and technopreneurs over the next two years with all of the Spark programmes,” Tam said.
The latest addition to the Microsoft Spark technopreneur start-up programme in Malaysia is the Microsoft WebsiteSpark, which aims to help website professionals and developers turn their dream job into a thriving business.
The WebSpark programme will equip smaller website developers, which have 10 employees or less, with Microsoft’s best tools including Silverlight that is touted as the alternative to the popular webpage building component, Flash, without any upfront cost.
The WebsiteSpark programme is part of a RM3.5bil investment from Microsoft Malaysia to give technopreneurs here a boost.
Peter Tam, director of local software innovations, Microsoft Malaysia said the programme is one of the steps the company is taking to encourage entrepreneurship among talented Malaysians.
“One of the most critical components for a knowledge-based economy is a vibrant entrepreneurial community but many smaller operations find it hard to afford the proper building blocks to design a good website,” he said at start of the Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) last week.
Tam added that although it seems natural for businesses to have a website in the 21st century economy, there are about one million local businesses that do not have their own website.
“We see this as an opportunity for web pros and developers to seize and the programme can help them along the way,” Tam said.
Tam also hopes that the programme will help smaller website developers improve on their design skills and create better sites than what they have developed in the past.
“Due to either budget or resource constraints, smaller developers tend to come up with static and unappealing websites that people find hard to trust,” he said adding that the tools offered in the WebsiteSpark programme may add a dash of professionalism into their designs.
To add more clout in its drive to encourage entrepreneurship among youths, Microsoft Malaysia has also joined forces with Warisan Global Sdn Bhd, the country host of the GEW in the FastTrac programme.
The FastTrac programme was developed by the Ewing Kauffman Foundation, a US-based organisation that is focused on entrepreneurial success tohelping entrepreneurs achieve success.
Malaysia is the first country outside the United States to offer this programme and the Microsoft WebsiteSpark programme will be offered to participants of the FastTrac Tech Venture programme.
“With this partnership, we are expecting to create and benefit 200 new companies and technopreneurs over the next two years with all of the Spark programmes,” Tam said.
NEWS: Animating with open-source
UNIQUE: A still from the Suleiman Brothers short film, Rojak!. The brothers used open-source software to combine live action with computer graphics for their film.
By STEVEN PATRICK
PETALING JAYA: IF YOU watched the 15Malaysia (www.15Malaysia.com) independent film collection, you would have noticed a unique entry called Rojak! that combined live action with computer graphics.
What is even cooler is that the filmmakers used open-source software to achieve this effect on the near-five-minute film. The fact is that the filmmakers — brothers Jordan, 29, and Mussadique Suleiman, 32 — are open-source software diehards.
The duo have been using open-source software for animation and editing TV commercials, documentaries and music videos for the past eight years.
Better known as the Suleiman Brothers, they specialise in hand-drawn animation, 3D and 2D motion graphics, video compositing as well as image processing.
Going open
Mussadique has been using open-source tools for more than a decade. He started in 1996 when he was software-code writer because he found writing code on the Windows platform frustrating.
“I had heard of the open-source movement a few years before that and found that it had really matured in the mid 90s, so I switched,” Mussadique recalled.
Today, Mussadique has Linux on everything — his computers, mobile phone and PDA.
His younger brother Jordan, shares his passion for open-source as it makes financial sense to use it in their filmmaking and animation endeavours.
Jordan, however, is not a software-coding geek like his brother. He is a self-taught computer graphics and animation artist.
“A copy of Maya (a 3D animation software) costs RM15,000 while open-source software costs nothing. Linux is also light years ahead of proprietary systems in terms of flexibility of use. It is the most powerful operating system based on our experience and we have been using it throughout our careers,” he said.
Tools for free
So when it came to their latest project — a short film for 15Malaysia, there was no question that the duo would still use open-source platforms that they have grown accustomed to.
The tools they used to create the animations include Blender (a 3D software package), Adobe After Effects (compositing) and Syntheyes — both for mixing virtual images with real footage. Blender and Syntheyes are Linux-based apps.
15Malaysia is a project by wireless broadband provider P1 and features a collection of 15 short films made by local independent filmmakers, including the late Yasmin Ahmad. The films feature local celebrities, actors, musicians and politicians.
“We wanted our submission to 15Malaysia be as surreal as possible as it dealt with the thoughts of a rojak seller and the multi-cultural background of Malaysia,” he said.
The Suleiman Brothers could not quantify the total time taken to make Rojak! as their studio was involved in a range of other commercial projects at the time.
The post-production and computer graphics work on Rojak! was done by five people. Two people did the 3D work — one of which was Mussadique — while Jordan was one of the two compositors, who mixed live footage with virtual images. The post-production process also involved a digital artist.
In the beginning
The Suleiman Brothers have enjoyed a creative partnership long before Rojak!. It began in their pre-teen years, explained Jordan.
They liked both the computer and art worlds and had undergone Basic computer programming training at the ages of six and eight.They also had a penchant for drawing and played musical instruments.
“When we were about 11, we tried to combine aspects of computer technology with aspects of art and creative design by designing ‘beat-em-up’ videogames like Streetfighter.
“We dabbled in everything from programming game logic to creating 16 x 32-pixel, frame-by-frame animation on old Atari 520ST CPUs,” Mussadique said.
However, later on, the partnership was put on hold temporarily as Mussadique branched out to focus on computing. He enrolled in a degree in artificial intelligence while Jordan went on to study business and information technology.
However, the brothers never stopped focusing on animation during their college years.
“I trained myself in all aspects of animation from hand-drawn cell work all the way to 3D character animation,” he said.
The brothers also found inspiration from Princess Mononoke, a popular anime movie from 1997.
After college, the brothers decided that animation was what they wanted to do. So in 1999, they formed a production company called Studio Voxel with their sister. Yasmin.
The company, which is based in Ampang, has been responsible for a wide range of artistic, commercial and corporate work — the most notable being the Anugerah Industri Muzik (AIM) award-winning music videos for artiste Pete Teo entitled Arms Of Marianne and Lost In America.
And yes, both videos mixed different types of animation with live footage. Just like Rojak!
By STEVEN PATRICK
PETALING JAYA: IF YOU watched the 15Malaysia (www.15Malaysia.com) independent film collection, you would have noticed a unique entry called Rojak! that combined live action with computer graphics.
What is even cooler is that the filmmakers used open-source software to achieve this effect on the near-five-minute film. The fact is that the filmmakers — brothers Jordan, 29, and Mussadique Suleiman, 32 — are open-source software diehards.
The duo have been using open-source software for animation and editing TV commercials, documentaries and music videos for the past eight years.
Better known as the Suleiman Brothers, they specialise in hand-drawn animation, 3D and 2D motion graphics, video compositing as well as image processing.
Going open
Mussadique has been using open-source tools for more than a decade. He started in 1996 when he was software-code writer because he found writing code on the Windows platform frustrating.
“I had heard of the open-source movement a few years before that and found that it had really matured in the mid 90s, so I switched,” Mussadique recalled.
Today, Mussadique has Linux on everything — his computers, mobile phone and PDA.
His younger brother Jordan, shares his passion for open-source as it makes financial sense to use it in their filmmaking and animation endeavours.
Jordan, however, is not a software-coding geek like his brother. He is a self-taught computer graphics and animation artist.
“A copy of Maya (a 3D animation software) costs RM15,000 while open-source software costs nothing. Linux is also light years ahead of proprietary systems in terms of flexibility of use. It is the most powerful operating system based on our experience and we have been using it throughout our careers,” he said.
Tools for free
So when it came to their latest project — a short film for 15Malaysia, there was no question that the duo would still use open-source platforms that they have grown accustomed to.
The tools they used to create the animations include Blender (a 3D software package), Adobe After Effects (compositing) and Syntheyes — both for mixing virtual images with real footage. Blender and Syntheyes are Linux-based apps.
15Malaysia is a project by wireless broadband provider P1 and features a collection of 15 short films made by local independent filmmakers, including the late Yasmin Ahmad. The films feature local celebrities, actors, musicians and politicians.
“We wanted our submission to 15Malaysia be as surreal as possible as it dealt with the thoughts of a rojak seller and the multi-cultural background of Malaysia,” he said.
The Suleiman Brothers could not quantify the total time taken to make Rojak! as their studio was involved in a range of other commercial projects at the time.
The post-production and computer graphics work on Rojak! was done by five people. Two people did the 3D work — one of which was Mussadique — while Jordan was one of the two compositors, who mixed live footage with virtual images. The post-production process also involved a digital artist.
In the beginning
The Suleiman Brothers have enjoyed a creative partnership long before Rojak!. It began in their pre-teen years, explained Jordan.
They liked both the computer and art worlds and had undergone Basic computer programming training at the ages of six and eight.They also had a penchant for drawing and played musical instruments.
“When we were about 11, we tried to combine aspects of computer technology with aspects of art and creative design by designing ‘beat-em-up’ videogames like Streetfighter.
“We dabbled in everything from programming game logic to creating 16 x 32-pixel, frame-by-frame animation on old Atari 520ST CPUs,” Mussadique said.
However, later on, the partnership was put on hold temporarily as Mussadique branched out to focus on computing. He enrolled in a degree in artificial intelligence while Jordan went on to study business and information technology.
However, the brothers never stopped focusing on animation during their college years.
“I trained myself in all aspects of animation from hand-drawn cell work all the way to 3D character animation,” he said.
The brothers also found inspiration from Princess Mononoke, a popular anime movie from 1997.
After college, the brothers decided that animation was what they wanted to do. So in 1999, they formed a production company called Studio Voxel with their sister. Yasmin.
The company, which is based in Ampang, has been responsible for a wide range of artistic, commercial and corporate work — the most notable being the Anugerah Industri Muzik (AIM) award-winning music videos for artiste Pete Teo entitled Arms Of Marianne and Lost In America.
And yes, both videos mixed different types of animation with live footage. Just like Rojak!
NEWS: Local startups impress VCs
KUALA LUMPUR: Every single one of the 20 startup companies that pitched ideas to venture capitalists (VC) at the sixth MSC Malaysia InnoTech event are in further talks on seed funding possibilities.
These startups initially received pre-seed funding of RM150,000 each from MSC Malaysia’s Pre-Seed Fund to create prototypes and are now seeking further funding (seed funding) from VCs to market their products.
These companies are collectively seeking RM75mil in VC funding.
“Although there is no certainty of these companies receiving funding, the fact that there is sustained VC interest after the initial pitch is encouraging,” said Roslan Bakri, director of technopreneur and enterprise development of the Multimedia Development Corporation, which is the guardian of the MSC Malaysia initiative.
The MSC Malaysia initiative is aimed at building up the nation’s knowledge-based economy.
“It could be another three years before these companies receive seed funding. This is because a lot of due diligence is needed but the fact that the startups have garnered VC interest after a 15-minute pitch is commendable,” he said.
Roslan said that last year, only five of 20 startup companies received the same degree of VC interest. However, these companies have so far received up to RM8mil collectively in VC funding.
“When MSC Malaysia InnoTech first started, only one in 20 startups received VC interest. Over the years, more and more startups have received VC interest after the pitch sessions,” he added.
Roslan explained that this increase in the success ratio is due to the fact that the startup representatives go through a four-month programme where they are “drilled” by seasoned entrepreneurs.
“They make them go over their 15-minute pitch until it is perfect. It is a very high pressure situation but it prepares the startups for their big day at MSC Malaysia InnoTech,” he said.
MSC Malaysia InnoTech is an annual event that connects startups under the MSC Malaysia Pre-Seed Fund Programme with foreign and local VCs for further funding.
Representatives from 20 startup companies pitched their ideas to 14 VCs this year.
Roslan would not reveal the nature of the startup companies but the VCs are mix of local and foreign organisations which, collectively handle a total fund size of RM500mil.
Mentorship
In related news, a new initiative called the MSC Malaysia Mentor Programme (M3P), was also launched at MSC Malaysia InnoTech.
M3P is a four-month programme to guide MSC Malaysia companies to move up the value chain. It involves weekly face-to-face meetings and online access to the mentors.
There are 11 mentors including Bob Chua, chief executive officer of Pulse Group Bhd; Micheal Lai, chief executive officer of Packet One Networks (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd; Abdul Rani, chief executive officer of CWorks Systems Bhd; Wilson Tay chief operating officer and chief knowledge officer, Malaysian Institue of Management; Mark Chang, executive director of Jobstreet Corporation Bhd and Chris Chan, chief executive officer of The Media Shoppe Bhd.
Forty MSC Malaysia and MSC Malaysia Pre-Seed Programme Fund recipients have been chosen for the M3P programme.
These startups initially received pre-seed funding of RM150,000 each from MSC Malaysia’s Pre-Seed Fund to create prototypes and are now seeking further funding (seed funding) from VCs to market their products.
These companies are collectively seeking RM75mil in VC funding.
“Although there is no certainty of these companies receiving funding, the fact that there is sustained VC interest after the initial pitch is encouraging,” said Roslan Bakri, director of technopreneur and enterprise development of the Multimedia Development Corporation, which is the guardian of the MSC Malaysia initiative.
The MSC Malaysia initiative is aimed at building up the nation’s knowledge-based economy.
“It could be another three years before these companies receive seed funding. This is because a lot of due diligence is needed but the fact that the startups have garnered VC interest after a 15-minute pitch is commendable,” he said.
Roslan said that last year, only five of 20 startup companies received the same degree of VC interest. However, these companies have so far received up to RM8mil collectively in VC funding.
“When MSC Malaysia InnoTech first started, only one in 20 startups received VC interest. Over the years, more and more startups have received VC interest after the pitch sessions,” he added.
Roslan explained that this increase in the success ratio is due to the fact that the startup representatives go through a four-month programme where they are “drilled” by seasoned entrepreneurs.
“They make them go over their 15-minute pitch until it is perfect. It is a very high pressure situation but it prepares the startups for their big day at MSC Malaysia InnoTech,” he said.
MSC Malaysia InnoTech is an annual event that connects startups under the MSC Malaysia Pre-Seed Fund Programme with foreign and local VCs for further funding.
Representatives from 20 startup companies pitched their ideas to 14 VCs this year.
Roslan would not reveal the nature of the startup companies but the VCs are mix of local and foreign organisations which, collectively handle a total fund size of RM500mil.
Mentorship
In related news, a new initiative called the MSC Malaysia Mentor Programme (M3P), was also launched at MSC Malaysia InnoTech.
M3P is a four-month programme to guide MSC Malaysia companies to move up the value chain. It involves weekly face-to-face meetings and online access to the mentors.
There are 11 mentors including Bob Chua, chief executive officer of Pulse Group Bhd; Micheal Lai, chief executive officer of Packet One Networks (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd; Abdul Rani, chief executive officer of CWorks Systems Bhd; Wilson Tay chief operating officer and chief knowledge officer, Malaysian Institue of Management; Mark Chang, executive director of Jobstreet Corporation Bhd and Chris Chan, chief executive officer of The Media Shoppe Bhd.
Forty MSC Malaysia and MSC Malaysia Pre-Seed Programme Fund recipients have been chosen for the M3P programme.
Monday, November 16, 2009
NEWS: Ah Longs use Facebook to shame debtors
KUALA LUMPUR: It appears that Ah Longs (loan sharks) have now resorted to the popular social networking website, Facebook, to threaten and humiliate debtors into settling outstanding debts.
MCA Public Service and Complaints Department head Datuk Michael Chong said the new modus operandi involved posting of the victim’s identity, including photographs, personal information and their debts, on the website.
“Prior to this, the Ah Longs used red paint and posters to humiliate their debtors but now, they are posting the debtors’ personal information on the social website,” he told reporters at the MCA headquarters here yesterday.
Chong said the latest case involved a car accessory shop worker who found an Ah Long’s threatening message posted on the website, demanding that he pay his outstanding debts.
The 25-year-old victim from Batu 9, Cheras, had taken a RM1,000 loan in September, but was now forced to pay RM80,000, inclusive of interests accrued.
The victim lodged a report at the Kajang police headquarters last Friday. — Bernama
MCA Public Service and Complaints Department head Datuk Michael Chong said the new modus operandi involved posting of the victim’s identity, including photographs, personal information and their debts, on the website.
“Prior to this, the Ah Longs used red paint and posters to humiliate their debtors but now, they are posting the debtors’ personal information on the social website,” he told reporters at the MCA headquarters here yesterday.
Chong said the latest case involved a car accessory shop worker who found an Ah Long’s threatening message posted on the website, demanding that he pay his outstanding debts.
The 25-year-old victim from Batu 9, Cheras, had taken a RM1,000 loan in September, but was now forced to pay RM80,000, inclusive of interests accrued.
The victim lodged a report at the Kajang police headquarters last Friday. — Bernama
Sunday, November 15, 2009
NEWS: Summit for technopreneurs next week
KUALA LUMPUR: Regional and global technopreneurs will gather here next week for the sixth InnoTech Summit.
Open to industry players and the public, the annual event will serve as a platform for participants to exchange ideas on starting up and maintaining a business.
The summit will also focus on identifying the technopreneurial opportunities available in the global market.
It takes place at the Berjaya Times Square Hotel & Convention Centre on Nov 17 and 18. The event is hosted by MSC Malaysia custodian, the Multimedia Development Corporation.
With the theme Innovating Success in the New Economy, InnoTech 2009 will comprise plenary sessions and tracks that will give participants insights into the role of innovation in sustaining business growth, reinventing companies, and expanding into overseas markets.
“Innovation is crucial to Malaysia’s efforts to develop a thriving knowledge-based economy. InnoTech 2009 is one avenue for us to further encourage, enhance and expand innovation and innovative thinking among our entrepreneurs and businesses,” said Roslan Bakri Zakaria, director of the industry development division at MDeC.
“We have some of the most exciting innovation experts lined up for the event and with the insightful sessions planned, we expect to draw about 400 participants.”
Among the international personalities who will be speaking at the summit are Mike Walsh, chief executive officer of innovation research agency Tomorrow; and Jana Matthews, the founder and chief executive officer of business growth consultancy The Jana Matthews Group.
In addition to the presentations, InnoTech 2009 will also see 20 selected Malaysian companies pitching ideas to a panel of local and international venture capitalists.
The summit will include a “funds fair,” featuring alternative financing offered by various organisations, and a products showcase.
For more information on InnoTech 2009, visit www.mscmalaysia.my. MSC Malaysia is a government initiative to leapfrog the country’s knowledge-based economy.
Open to industry players and the public, the annual event will serve as a platform for participants to exchange ideas on starting up and maintaining a business.
The summit will also focus on identifying the technopreneurial opportunities available in the global market.
It takes place at the Berjaya Times Square Hotel & Convention Centre on Nov 17 and 18. The event is hosted by MSC Malaysia custodian, the Multimedia Development Corporation.
With the theme Innovating Success in the New Economy, InnoTech 2009 will comprise plenary sessions and tracks that will give participants insights into the role of innovation in sustaining business growth, reinventing companies, and expanding into overseas markets.
“Innovation is crucial to Malaysia’s efforts to develop a thriving knowledge-based economy. InnoTech 2009 is one avenue for us to further encourage, enhance and expand innovation and innovative thinking among our entrepreneurs and businesses,” said Roslan Bakri Zakaria, director of the industry development division at MDeC.
“We have some of the most exciting innovation experts lined up for the event and with the insightful sessions planned, we expect to draw about 400 participants.”
Among the international personalities who will be speaking at the summit are Mike Walsh, chief executive officer of innovation research agency Tomorrow; and Jana Matthews, the founder and chief executive officer of business growth consultancy The Jana Matthews Group.
In addition to the presentations, InnoTech 2009 will also see 20 selected Malaysian companies pitching ideas to a panel of local and international venture capitalists.
The summit will include a “funds fair,” featuring alternative financing offered by various organisations, and a products showcase.
For more information on InnoTech 2009, visit www.mscmalaysia.my. MSC Malaysia is a government initiative to leapfrog the country’s knowledge-based economy.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
NEWS: Broadband lessons from Kentucky
PUTRAJAYA: What does the US state of Kentucky have in common with our state of Kedah? Would it be chicken platters — the famous American fried variety and our ayam goreng?
Yes, but the answer is also that both are mostly rural and their communities depend on the manufacturing industry for their livelihood.
Being a rural state, Kentucky had little in terms of technology and its economy was centered on manufacturing. But as the manufacturing industry waned in early 2000, the state had to start looking at how to sustain its economy.
Then in 2004 the Connected Nation, a US-based non-profit organisation, started its ICT (information and communications technology) initiative in the state.
“What we do is make people’s lives easier and more productive through technology,” said Brian Mefford, the chairman and CEO of Connected Nation.
“We work with the ICT industry and local communities to make computers, broadband and useful software applications available and relevant to everyone.”
When it started, Kentucky had a population of 4.2 million and 60% of the homes had Internet speeds of about 200Kbps (kilobits per second). That’s slow considering 1Mbps (megabit per second) is the norm for bearable websurfing.
“But at that time, 200Kbps was the US Federal Communications Commission minimum for fast web service,” said Mefford. “ And IT jobs in the state were declining by 6.4% per year.”
Connected Nation then partnered with federal, state and local governments, as well as major hardware and software vendors such as Microsoft and Dell, to create an effective plan for boosting broadband infrastructure and PC ownership in Kentucky.
Ready to help
Now, Mefford said, 95% of Kentuckians — including 546,000 new households — enjoy high-speed broadband Internet access. He did not have detailed figures at hand.
But according to broadband speed testing and survey website Speed Matters (http://bit.ly/3ulGEn), 55% of Kentuckians now experience broadband speeds of up to 6Mbps (megabits per second) and a further 26% of the population has access to speeds of up to 25Mbps.
Speed Matters is a project of the Communications Workers of America, a union representing 700,000 workers in communications, media, airlines, manufacturing, and public service.
Connected Nation’s chief strategy was to bring together the leaders from each sector, such as agriculture and manufacturing, to ascertain the best way to implement broadband technology.
It also had regular meetings to answer the people’s questions on broadband and to show how the technology would improve their lives and livelihood.
Since then, Connected Nation has started bridging the “digital divide” in other US states and even has some on-going projects in India. The divide refers to the gap between the technology haves and have-nots.
Mefford is confident a similar approach will boost broadband infrastructure and take up in Kedah and the other rural states in this country.
“We believe our strategies will work and we are keen to share our experiences with your government and ICT sector,” he said. “Obviously each country and market is different but the overall concept remains the same.”
Computers and broadband are vital for the progression of a nation’s communities, especially the rural, towards building a knowledge-based economy, Mefford added.
He was speaking to In.Tech on the sidelines of the 21st MSC Malaysia Implementation Council Meeting in Putrajaya on Monday.
Bumps in the road
Connected Nation, however, is taking flak from certain quarters for its Kentucky initiative and its subsequent efforts to boost broadband in the other US states.
Public Knowledge, a Washington, D.C.-based public interest group working to defend US citizens’ rights in the emerging digital culture, is a vociferous critic of Connecton Nation.
Art Brodsky, communications director of Public Knowledge, lashed out at Connected Nation in his January 2008 blog (www.publicknowledge.org/node/1334).
He accused Connected Nation of being “nothing more than a sales force and front group for (US telco) AT&T paid for by the telecommunications industry and by state and federal governments that has achieved far more in publicity than it has in actual accomplishment.”
For that, Brodsky has been both supported and criticised by readers of his blog.
If the group is nothing more than a shill for AT&T, “why do other broadband providers, like the Kentucky cable association and Comcast Cable, support it?” said Robert D. Atkinson, president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, in the comments section of Brodsky’s blog.
Atkinson said Brodsky appears to have gone after Connected Nation because its mission is not to promote inter-modal competition, spur municipal broadband, or help “mom and pop” ISPs (Internet service providers) — all goals (that) Public Knowledge supports.
“Connected Nation’s goal is simpler: To get broadband to as many people as possible,” commented Atkinson.
Yes, but the answer is also that both are mostly rural and their communities depend on the manufacturing industry for their livelihood.
Being a rural state, Kentucky had little in terms of technology and its economy was centered on manufacturing. But as the manufacturing industry waned in early 2000, the state had to start looking at how to sustain its economy.
Then in 2004 the Connected Nation, a US-based non-profit organisation, started its ICT (information and communications technology) initiative in the state.
“What we do is make people’s lives easier and more productive through technology,” said Brian Mefford, the chairman and CEO of Connected Nation.
“We work with the ICT industry and local communities to make computers, broadband and useful software applications available and relevant to everyone.”
When it started, Kentucky had a population of 4.2 million and 60% of the homes had Internet speeds of about 200Kbps (kilobits per second). That’s slow considering 1Mbps (megabit per second) is the norm for bearable websurfing.
“But at that time, 200Kbps was the US Federal Communications Commission minimum for fast web service,” said Mefford. “ And IT jobs in the state were declining by 6.4% per year.”
Connected Nation then partnered with federal, state and local governments, as well as major hardware and software vendors such as Microsoft and Dell, to create an effective plan for boosting broadband infrastructure and PC ownership in Kentucky.
Ready to help
Now, Mefford said, 95% of Kentuckians — including 546,000 new households — enjoy high-speed broadband Internet access. He did not have detailed figures at hand.
But according to broadband speed testing and survey website Speed Matters (http://bit.ly/3ulGEn), 55% of Kentuckians now experience broadband speeds of up to 6Mbps (megabits per second) and a further 26% of the population has access to speeds of up to 25Mbps.
Speed Matters is a project of the Communications Workers of America, a union representing 700,000 workers in communications, media, airlines, manufacturing, and public service.
Connected Nation’s chief strategy was to bring together the leaders from each sector, such as agriculture and manufacturing, to ascertain the best way to implement broadband technology.
It also had regular meetings to answer the people’s questions on broadband and to show how the technology would improve their lives and livelihood.
Since then, Connected Nation has started bridging the “digital divide” in other US states and even has some on-going projects in India. The divide refers to the gap between the technology haves and have-nots.
Mefford is confident a similar approach will boost broadband infrastructure and take up in Kedah and the other rural states in this country.
“We believe our strategies will work and we are keen to share our experiences with your government and ICT sector,” he said. “Obviously each country and market is different but the overall concept remains the same.”
Computers and broadband are vital for the progression of a nation’s communities, especially the rural, towards building a knowledge-based economy, Mefford added.
He was speaking to In.Tech on the sidelines of the 21st MSC Malaysia Implementation Council Meeting in Putrajaya on Monday.
Bumps in the road
Connected Nation, however, is taking flak from certain quarters for its Kentucky initiative and its subsequent efforts to boost broadband in the other US states.
Public Knowledge, a Washington, D.C.-based public interest group working to defend US citizens’ rights in the emerging digital culture, is a vociferous critic of Connecton Nation.
Art Brodsky, communications director of Public Knowledge, lashed out at Connected Nation in his January 2008 blog (www.publicknowledge.org/node/1334).
He accused Connected Nation of being “nothing more than a sales force and front group for (US telco) AT&T paid for by the telecommunications industry and by state and federal governments that has achieved far more in publicity than it has in actual accomplishment.”
For that, Brodsky has been both supported and criticised by readers of his blog.
If the group is nothing more than a shill for AT&T, “why do other broadband providers, like the Kentucky cable association and Comcast Cable, support it?” said Robert D. Atkinson, president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, in the comments section of Brodsky’s blog.
Atkinson said Brodsky appears to have gone after Connected Nation because its mission is not to promote inter-modal competition, spur municipal broadband, or help “mom and pop” ISPs (Internet service providers) — all goals (that) Public Knowledge supports.
“Connected Nation’s goal is simpler: To get broadband to as many people as possible,” commented Atkinson.
NEWS: PM: Innovation is the way forward
PUTRAJAYA: Technological advancement is an important tool in developing a nation and countries with such capabilities will triumph while those that fail to make innovation the centrepiece of their economy will fall behind, said the Prime Minister.
Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said it is no accident that technologically advanced countries like the United States, Japan, Switzerland, Sweden, Canada and Australia are noted as the world’s wealthiest nations.
Malaysia, he said, has done well in the past by growing an industrial base while expanding its agricultural sector, and at the same time, nurturing a strong oil and gas industry.
“But our prior focus on attracting foreign investment as a low-cost producer has now created a dilemma by not keeping pace with the global leaders and we remain somewhat underdeveloped in this respect,” he said.
He said a new paradigm is needed to not only catch up but to take the country on a quantum leap into the ranks of the developed nations.
According to the Prime Minister, this is why the MSC Malaysia initiative, which will enter its third phase of development and evolution from 2011-2020, will build on the country’s success so far and boost its economic growth and societal well-being.
Najib said the MSC Malaysia has proven to be an enormous success and Malaysia now wants to create its own software, games, creative content and social networking icons.
“We want our own solutions to be used in solving medical, environmental, business and scientific challenges. We want to close the lingering ‘digital divide,’ not just here in Malaysia but also contribute to erasing the gap elsewhere,” he said.
The divide refers to the gap between the technology haves and have-nots.
Speed upgrade
Malaysia will be rolling out an advanced national communications infrastructure soon by wiring up 1.2 million households and business premises with fibreoptics that will help boost Internet connection speeds to between 10Mbps (megabits per second) and 1Gbps (gigabit per second). Current speeds are up to 4Mbps.
Najib said the high-speed broadband network will provide a platform to develop ICT (information and communications technology) applications for the future, as well as provide citizens, businesses and government agencies with a competitive boost via cutting-edge communications capabilities.
He said this is one of the measures being taken by the Government to put in place a system to drive high performance at all levels of society and it is also in line with the new economic model that will take a new approach based on innovation, creativity and high-value activities.
Stressing the advantages of ICT, Najib said he is pioneering a new style of intimate, people-centric approach through the use of ICT with his 1Malaysiawebsite that allows Malaysians to interact directly with him via the Internet.
“It is not a passive site but a fully interactive one where visitors can not only find out about my thoughts but can submit their suggestions direct to me online,” he said.
A recent open solicitation for suggestions on the Government’s 2010 budget drew more than 400 responses from the public while post budget feedback from the public drew over 500 responses, which Najib said he will take into consideration for the following budget.
“Malaysians who are interested in my workday can also follow me in real time on Twitter,” he said in his opening remarks at the launch of the 12th International Advisory Panel (IAP) meeting at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre today.
1 for all
Najib also said Malaysia realises that the current complexities of the world demand new ways of thinking and problem solving, and that the country is fortunate to have come so far as a nation consisting of multiple cultures and faiths.
He said, however, there is a need now for a new paradigm to unite and prepare Malaysia for the challenges ahead, and that it can no longer rely on what had worked in the past.
“This is the reason I introduced the 1Malaysia concept soon after I took office in April. I see that the way forward for Malaysia and the world at large is a more imaginative and inclusive form of collaboration,” he said.
“I would like to formalise Malaysia’s inherent diversity into 1dream, 1people, 1nation and I believe it will be the catalyst for greatness for Malaysia and a guide to enhancing regional and global co-operation.”
The MSC Malaysia, conceptualised in 1996, is a government initiative to leapfrog the country’s knowledge-based economy and move the people into the Information Age.
Foreign and home grown companies, numbering more than 900, are part of the initiative and are operating in high-tech areas nationwide. These businesses are involved in R&D work, multimedia products and services, as well as ICT.
This year’s IAP meeting is themed Innovation Economy: Paving the Path to Prosperity. The panel includes government representatives, international captains of industry, IT experts and academicians who help guide the MSC Malaysia initiative.
Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said it is no accident that technologically advanced countries like the United States, Japan, Switzerland, Sweden, Canada and Australia are noted as the world’s wealthiest nations.
Malaysia, he said, has done well in the past by growing an industrial base while expanding its agricultural sector, and at the same time, nurturing a strong oil and gas industry.
“But our prior focus on attracting foreign investment as a low-cost producer has now created a dilemma by not keeping pace with the global leaders and we remain somewhat underdeveloped in this respect,” he said.
He said a new paradigm is needed to not only catch up but to take the country on a quantum leap into the ranks of the developed nations.
According to the Prime Minister, this is why the MSC Malaysia initiative, which will enter its third phase of development and evolution from 2011-2020, will build on the country’s success so far and boost its economic growth and societal well-being.
Najib said the MSC Malaysia has proven to be an enormous success and Malaysia now wants to create its own software, games, creative content and social networking icons.
“We want our own solutions to be used in solving medical, environmental, business and scientific challenges. We want to close the lingering ‘digital divide,’ not just here in Malaysia but also contribute to erasing the gap elsewhere,” he said.
The divide refers to the gap between the technology haves and have-nots.
Speed upgrade
Malaysia will be rolling out an advanced national communications infrastructure soon by wiring up 1.2 million households and business premises with fibreoptics that will help boost Internet connection speeds to between 10Mbps (megabits per second) and 1Gbps (gigabit per second). Current speeds are up to 4Mbps.
Najib said the high-speed broadband network will provide a platform to develop ICT (information and communications technology) applications for the future, as well as provide citizens, businesses and government agencies with a competitive boost via cutting-edge communications capabilities.
He said this is one of the measures being taken by the Government to put in place a system to drive high performance at all levels of society and it is also in line with the new economic model that will take a new approach based on innovation, creativity and high-value activities.
Stressing the advantages of ICT, Najib said he is pioneering a new style of intimate, people-centric approach through the use of ICT with his 1Malaysiawebsite that allows Malaysians to interact directly with him via the Internet.
“It is not a passive site but a fully interactive one where visitors can not only find out about my thoughts but can submit their suggestions direct to me online,” he said.
A recent open solicitation for suggestions on the Government’s 2010 budget drew more than 400 responses from the public while post budget feedback from the public drew over 500 responses, which Najib said he will take into consideration for the following budget.
“Malaysians who are interested in my workday can also follow me in real time on Twitter,” he said in his opening remarks at the launch of the 12th International Advisory Panel (IAP) meeting at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre today.
1 for all
Najib also said Malaysia realises that the current complexities of the world demand new ways of thinking and problem solving, and that the country is fortunate to have come so far as a nation consisting of multiple cultures and faiths.
He said, however, there is a need now for a new paradigm to unite and prepare Malaysia for the challenges ahead, and that it can no longer rely on what had worked in the past.
“This is the reason I introduced the 1Malaysia concept soon after I took office in April. I see that the way forward for Malaysia and the world at large is a more imaginative and inclusive form of collaboration,” he said.
“I would like to formalise Malaysia’s inherent diversity into 1dream, 1people, 1nation and I believe it will be the catalyst for greatness for Malaysia and a guide to enhancing regional and global co-operation.”
The MSC Malaysia, conceptualised in 1996, is a government initiative to leapfrog the country’s knowledge-based economy and move the people into the Information Age.
Foreign and home grown companies, numbering more than 900, are part of the initiative and are operating in high-tech areas nationwide. These businesses are involved in R&D work, multimedia products and services, as well as ICT.
This year’s IAP meeting is themed Innovation Economy: Paving the Path to Prosperity. The panel includes government representatives, international captains of industry, IT experts and academicians who help guide the MSC Malaysia initiative.
NEWS: Working from home — a disabled civil servant tells his story
KUALA LUMPUR: Would working from home be beneficial or otherwise for civil servants? That question has been posed by many in the wake of news reports that the Public Works Department would be initiating a three-month Home Working Programme beginning Jan 1.
Works Minister Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor had announced that the programme would involve 35 draughtsmen and the selected individuals would go through the trial period before the Government decided whether or not to continue with the programme.
The programme would cease if productivity did not increase, Shaziman was reported as saying in the news reports.
This drew positive response from the umbrella body for Malaysian civil servants, Cuepacs.
The Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Service welcomed the move and said it would ease congestion at the work place and reduce the burden on government employees in terms of petrol expenses and travel time.
It would also allow the civil servants to spend more time with their families.
Cuepacs president Omar Osman said it was a wise move and has called for the programme to be extended to other ministries and government agencies.
A form of therapy
Actually, working from home already exists in the country’s civil service and has for quite some time but without much publicity. And the result was very positive.
That is a testimony from this writer who is an employee of an agency under the Information, Communications and Culture Ministry. He has been enjoying this facility since 2007.
This writer is a diabetic and had developed vascular problems in his right leg as a complication of this disease. He has to undergo heamodialysis three times a week due to the failure of his kidneys and became exhausted after each session.
In 2007, he had his right leg amputated below the knee and this made it difficult for him to move around. Anyway, he still went to his office to work, even using a wheelchair.
His superiors took notice of his problem and used their discretion to allow him some degree of flexibility in terms of working hours. They were understanding and kind enough to allow him to work from home using the Internet because all of his work is computer-based.
They even lent him a laptop computer that was linked to his office’s network system. Hence it was no surprise that despite the long hours that he needed for his dialysis sessions and other medical treatment, his productivity ever since he began working from home had doubled.
By working from home, he was able to sort out his work schedule because he has 24 hours at his disposal instead of the usual eight-hour working period in the office. This does not take into account the hours spent on time taken to travel and return from the office.
Good for the disabled
“Working at home means a lot for disabled civil servants. If they are tired they can take a rest. They have the opportunity to work even at night or in the wee hours of the morning,” said social activist Fatimah Mansur.
She said working from home would be like therapy to reduce stress at the work place. Among those who are suitable for this concept are those who have disabilities due to accidents or are suffering from chronic diseases.
“But you need good information and communications technology (ICT) to make this programme a success,” she said.
To Fatimah, working from home can be isolating but sometimes isolation when working does more good than harm.
“Working alone is good particularly when you have a deadline or a project that requires intense and specific concentration. By working at home, you can have this factor for a conducive work environment,” she said.
She said civil servants who have to take care of their young or sick children can apply to their respective employers to work from home.
“However not everybody can work from home. This programme is only suitable for those whose work is based on computers that are linked to the Internet and the office network,” she said.
By allowing civil servants to work from home, the Government would not lose those who are experts in their respective fields to premature retirement due to chronic diseases, and other problems.
“If the experts in the respective fields are retained, then this definitely ensures efficiency in the public service,” Fatimah said.
A similar move was initiated in Thailand last year, according to a report in The Nation newspaper. The Thai Government was looking into the possibility of having civil servants work from home under an “e-office” concept.
Private sector
To medical equipment supplier Robert Lee, working from home is ideal for him.
“I work from my house so I do not need to pay monthly rental on office space, apart from higher water and electricity bills,” he said.
“I only need a fax line and telephone connection, as well as one or two computers that have Internet links,” Lee said at his Bukit Rahman Putra home near here.
To this writer who is physically handicapped and finds difficulty in mobility, working from home gives him a boost in terms of productivity and he has the ICT facilities in the country to thank for it.
“The beauty of working from home is that you have 24 hours a day and seven days a week to work where you have the flexibility of choosing your own work schedule.
“Working in the office is very rigid where one has only eight hours to perform and this is a limit to productivity.” — Bernama
Works Minister Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor had announced that the programme would involve 35 draughtsmen and the selected individuals would go through the trial period before the Government decided whether or not to continue with the programme.
The programme would cease if productivity did not increase, Shaziman was reported as saying in the news reports.
This drew positive response from the umbrella body for Malaysian civil servants, Cuepacs.
The Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Service welcomed the move and said it would ease congestion at the work place and reduce the burden on government employees in terms of petrol expenses and travel time.
It would also allow the civil servants to spend more time with their families.
Cuepacs president Omar Osman said it was a wise move and has called for the programme to be extended to other ministries and government agencies.
A form of therapy
Actually, working from home already exists in the country’s civil service and has for quite some time but without much publicity. And the result was very positive.
That is a testimony from this writer who is an employee of an agency under the Information, Communications and Culture Ministry. He has been enjoying this facility since 2007.
This writer is a diabetic and had developed vascular problems in his right leg as a complication of this disease. He has to undergo heamodialysis three times a week due to the failure of his kidneys and became exhausted after each session.
In 2007, he had his right leg amputated below the knee and this made it difficult for him to move around. Anyway, he still went to his office to work, even using a wheelchair.
His superiors took notice of his problem and used their discretion to allow him some degree of flexibility in terms of working hours. They were understanding and kind enough to allow him to work from home using the Internet because all of his work is computer-based.
They even lent him a laptop computer that was linked to his office’s network system. Hence it was no surprise that despite the long hours that he needed for his dialysis sessions and other medical treatment, his productivity ever since he began working from home had doubled.
By working from home, he was able to sort out his work schedule because he has 24 hours at his disposal instead of the usual eight-hour working period in the office. This does not take into account the hours spent on time taken to travel and return from the office.
Good for the disabled
“Working at home means a lot for disabled civil servants. If they are tired they can take a rest. They have the opportunity to work even at night or in the wee hours of the morning,” said social activist Fatimah Mansur.
She said working from home would be like therapy to reduce stress at the work place. Among those who are suitable for this concept are those who have disabilities due to accidents or are suffering from chronic diseases.
“But you need good information and communications technology (ICT) to make this programme a success,” she said.
To Fatimah, working from home can be isolating but sometimes isolation when working does more good than harm.
“Working alone is good particularly when you have a deadline or a project that requires intense and specific concentration. By working at home, you can have this factor for a conducive work environment,” she said.
She said civil servants who have to take care of their young or sick children can apply to their respective employers to work from home.
“However not everybody can work from home. This programme is only suitable for those whose work is based on computers that are linked to the Internet and the office network,” she said.
By allowing civil servants to work from home, the Government would not lose those who are experts in their respective fields to premature retirement due to chronic diseases, and other problems.
“If the experts in the respective fields are retained, then this definitely ensures efficiency in the public service,” Fatimah said.
A similar move was initiated in Thailand last year, according to a report in The Nation newspaper. The Thai Government was looking into the possibility of having civil servants work from home under an “e-office” concept.
Private sector
To medical equipment supplier Robert Lee, working from home is ideal for him.
“I work from my house so I do not need to pay monthly rental on office space, apart from higher water and electricity bills,” he said.
“I only need a fax line and telephone connection, as well as one or two computers that have Internet links,” Lee said at his Bukit Rahman Putra home near here.
To this writer who is physically handicapped and finds difficulty in mobility, working from home gives him a boost in terms of productivity and he has the ICT facilities in the country to thank for it.
“The beauty of working from home is that you have 24 hours a day and seven days a week to work where you have the flexibility of choosing your own work schedule.
“Working in the office is very rigid where one has only eight hours to perform and this is a limit to productivity.” — Bernama
Monday, November 9, 2009
NEWS: Three new MSC Malaysia cybercentres to be developed
PUTRAJAYA: Three new locations in the Klang Valley will be developed into MSC Malaysia cybercentres — the Persoft Tower in Petaling Jaya, as well as GTower and Bangsar South City in Kuala Lumpur.
Datuk Badlisham Ghazali, chief executive officer of the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC), said the new locations are to provide more variety and choice to companies and organisations looking to be part of the MSC Malaysia initiative.
There are 10 cybercentres in the Klang Valley now — among them are the Kuala Lumpur City Centre, Cyberjaya, KL Sentral and Mid Valley City. There are six cybercities in the states of Kedah, Penang, Malacca, Perak, Johor and Pahang.
The cybercentre/cybercity concept was established to provide a conducive business environment and ecosystem to attract ICT (information and communications technology) investors, to push the growth of sector.
Badlisham was speaking at the 21st MSC Malaysia Implementation Council Meeting (ICM) today, which takes place ahead of tomorrow’s International Advisory Panel (IAP) meeting. Both are being held at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre.
The theme for this year’s ICM is MSC Malaysia 2.0: Contributing to Malaysia’s New Economic Model.
Datuk Badlisham Ghazali, chief executive officer of the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC), said the new locations are to provide more variety and choice to companies and organisations looking to be part of the MSC Malaysia initiative.
There are 10 cybercentres in the Klang Valley now — among them are the Kuala Lumpur City Centre, Cyberjaya, KL Sentral and Mid Valley City. There are six cybercities in the states of Kedah, Penang, Malacca, Perak, Johor and Pahang.
The cybercentre/cybercity concept was established to provide a conducive business environment and ecosystem to attract ICT (information and communications technology) investors, to push the growth of sector.
Badlisham was speaking at the 21st MSC Malaysia Implementation Council Meeting (ICM) today, which takes place ahead of tomorrow’s International Advisory Panel (IAP) meeting. Both are being held at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre.
The theme for this year’s ICM is MSC Malaysia 2.0: Contributing to Malaysia’s New Economic Model.
NEWS: Choose local IT solutions, govt agencies told
By STEVEN PATRICK
PUTRAJAYA: All government agencies will soon be required to use local software and solutions whenever possible.
The move is to give Malaysian ICT (information and communications technology) companies a chance to flourish in the local market and strengthen their products before pushing into global markets.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said a circular would be sent out, informing all government institutions to give preference to local software and solutions.
He was speaking after officiating at the 21st MSC Malaysia Implementation Council Meeting (ICM) on Monday at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC).
“At the meeting, I made an emphasis for ministries and government agencies to adopt local ICT solutions, provided these products are cost competitive and of high quality,” Najib said.
The Prime Minister also called on the agencies to more extensively use electronic media to maintain contact with the public, such as e-mail, short message service, and even social networks like Twitter and Facebook.
“For example, SMSes could be sent to warn the people of floods and potential landslides,” he said.
Najib also said that Malaysia needs to work faster in creating an abundant supply of well-trained and multi-skilled ICT workers who are on par with their overseas counterparts.
Reactions
Pikom — the Association of the Computer and Multimedia Industry of Malaysia — welcomed the Prime Minister’s call.
C.J. Ang, Pikom president, told In.Tech that the move is a boost for local industry players. “This is also definitely a plus for our enterprise-software companies — the Government is giving them more business,” he said.
However, he cautioned that the “go local” plan if allowed to carry on for too long, could be construed by the foreign vendors as protectionism.
“It could also put local vendors in a comfort zone that keeps them from striving to better their products to compete internationally,” Ang said.
Microsoft Malaysia, local subsidiary of the US-based software giant, said the shift toward indigenous solutions will benefit its Malaysian partners.
“Such encouragement from the Government, we hope, will result in more Made-in-Malaysia solutions, helping the nation to realise its high-value-economy aspirations and to nurture a culture of innovation amongst Malaysians,” said a spokesman for Microsoft Malaysia.
He said the company has the largest ecosystem throughout the country — there are 5,000 partners nationwide, of which some 800 are independent software vendors.
“Microsoft hopes the local software solutions industry will one day grow to be as big as what the manufacturing sector is to the Malaysian economy.
“Along the way, we also hope that these Made-in-Malaysia solutions will elevate other existing economic sectors, such as agriculture, to a new level where the nation can compete even more efficiently with the rest of the world,” the spokesman said.
The other meeting
Tomorrow, the International Advisory Panel (IAP) will meet at the PICC. It will focus on how the MSC Malaysia initiative can assist the country’s economic recovery and create future prosperity via an innovation economy, develop world-class talents in Malaysians, and help attract investments.
The panel, which includes international captains or industry, IT experts and academicians, helps guide the MSC Malaysia initiative.
MSC Malaysia, conceptualised in 1996, is a government initiative to leapfrog the country’s knowledge-based economy and move the people into the Information Age.
Foreign and home grown companies, numbering more than 900, are part of the initiative and are operating in high-tech areas nationwide. These businesses are involved in R&D work, multimedia products and services, as well as information and communications technology (ICT).
PUTRAJAYA: All government agencies will soon be required to use local software and solutions whenever possible.
The move is to give Malaysian ICT (information and communications technology) companies a chance to flourish in the local market and strengthen their products before pushing into global markets.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said a circular would be sent out, informing all government institutions to give preference to local software and solutions.
He was speaking after officiating at the 21st MSC Malaysia Implementation Council Meeting (ICM) on Monday at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC).
“At the meeting, I made an emphasis for ministries and government agencies to adopt local ICT solutions, provided these products are cost competitive and of high quality,” Najib said.
The Prime Minister also called on the agencies to more extensively use electronic media to maintain contact with the public, such as e-mail, short message service, and even social networks like Twitter and Facebook.
“For example, SMSes could be sent to warn the people of floods and potential landslides,” he said.
Najib also said that Malaysia needs to work faster in creating an abundant supply of well-trained and multi-skilled ICT workers who are on par with their overseas counterparts.
Reactions
Pikom — the Association of the Computer and Multimedia Industry of Malaysia — welcomed the Prime Minister’s call.
C.J. Ang, Pikom president, told In.Tech that the move is a boost for local industry players. “This is also definitely a plus for our enterprise-software companies — the Government is giving them more business,” he said.
However, he cautioned that the “go local” plan if allowed to carry on for too long, could be construed by the foreign vendors as protectionism.
“It could also put local vendors in a comfort zone that keeps them from striving to better their products to compete internationally,” Ang said.
Microsoft Malaysia, local subsidiary of the US-based software giant, said the shift toward indigenous solutions will benefit its Malaysian partners.
“Such encouragement from the Government, we hope, will result in more Made-in-Malaysia solutions, helping the nation to realise its high-value-economy aspirations and to nurture a culture of innovation amongst Malaysians,” said a spokesman for Microsoft Malaysia.
He said the company has the largest ecosystem throughout the country — there are 5,000 partners nationwide, of which some 800 are independent software vendors.
“Microsoft hopes the local software solutions industry will one day grow to be as big as what the manufacturing sector is to the Malaysian economy.
“Along the way, we also hope that these Made-in-Malaysia solutions will elevate other existing economic sectors, such as agriculture, to a new level where the nation can compete even more efficiently with the rest of the world,” the spokesman said.
The other meeting
Tomorrow, the International Advisory Panel (IAP) will meet at the PICC. It will focus on how the MSC Malaysia initiative can assist the country’s economic recovery and create future prosperity via an innovation economy, develop world-class talents in Malaysians, and help attract investments.
The panel, which includes international captains or industry, IT experts and academicians, helps guide the MSC Malaysia initiative.
MSC Malaysia, conceptualised in 1996, is a government initiative to leapfrog the country’s knowledge-based economy and move the people into the Information Age.
Foreign and home grown companies, numbering more than 900, are part of the initiative and are operating in high-tech areas nationwide. These businesses are involved in R&D work, multimedia products and services, as well as information and communications technology (ICT).
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
NEWS: IAP meeting to be smaller but more focused
KUALA LUMPUR: The Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC), custodian of the MSC Malaysia initiative, has downsized this year’s International Advisory Panel (IAP) meeting.
The event, which starts Nov 10 is hosting less delegates and speakers than the one last year, which was on a grander scale because it coincided with the prestigious World Congress on Information Technology conference in the capital.
However, the speakers and attendees will still make up a comprehensive cross-section of IT experts, comprising technologists, academicians, futurists and social entrepreneurs.
MDeC decided to streamline the number of delegates to enable the discussions to move quicker, as well as to have the ability to dwell longer on the more interesting topics without creating a backlog in presentations.
“A smaller group will allow us to be more focused on what is needed to take the MSC Malaysia forward,” said Datuk Badlisham Ghazali, MDeC chief executive officer, at a press conference on the IAP meeting.
MSC Malaysia, conceptualised in 1996, is a government initiative to leapfrog the country’s knowledge-based economy and move the people into the Information Age.
Foreign and home grown companies, numbering more than 900, are part of the initiative and are operating in high-tech areas nationwide. These businesses are involved in R&D work, multimedia products and services, as well as information and communications technology (ICT).
Guest speakers
This year’s IAP meeting, themed Innovation Economy: Paving the Path to Prosperity, will be at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC), located about 25km from Kuala Lumpur.
The topics of discussion include how to keep the MSC Malaysia at the forefront of assisting Malaysia’s economic recovery and creating future prosperity via an innovation-based economy.
Also up for discussion are the programmes that will be needed to create new jobs via ICT, develop world-class talent and, attract domestic and foreign investments.
Among the speakers will be Prof Muhammad Yunus, founder of the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, which makes tiny loans for self-employment to some of the poorest people in that country.
He found that such micro-financing helped those people to survive, as well as created the spark of personal initiative and enterprise necessary for them to pull themselves out of poverty.
Also coming here is Brian Mefford, chief executive officer of the Connected Nation, an organisation that works in the trenches to bridge the “digital divide,” that gap between the technology haves and have-nots.
It also believes that states, communities, families and individuals can realise great economic and social advantages when nations accelerate broadband availability in underserved areas and increase broadband use in all areas, rural and urban.
Mefford and his team were responsible for helping make broadband available in the US state of Kentucky, under what was called the Connected Kentucky Initiative.
Both speakers will share their insights into how similar programmes can be just as useful in this country.
Other key issues
Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Fadillah Yusof, who officiated at the press conference, said the IAP meeting will also look at ways to accelerate the country toward a high-income, knowledge-based economy through innovation and the creativity of its people.
It will also deliberate on education, technology, entrepreneurship, robotics, content development and broadband utilisation — all of which will help generate a blueprint for the country to achieve its economic and development goals.
Badlisham said the IAP has been very useful in pointing Malaysia in the right direction and helping it to stay the path over the years. “It will continue to help us look at the areas where we should be focusing on,” he added.
This meeting, he said, will assist MDeC in bringing the MSC Malaysia into its third phase, which is set to kick off in 2011.
The third phase places priority on creating a demand for local IT services — inside and outside the country — that will drive various sectors of the Malaysian economy.
Badlisham said MDeC will also seek the advice of the IAP on which technology sectors would benefit from further stimulus. MDeC has already identified several but would like to focus some additional expertise on the matter.
The IAP meeting is an annual conference and this year’s is the 12th in the series.
Present and past
Another conference, the 21st MSC Malaysia Implementation Council Meeting, will take place a day before the IAP meeting, at the PICC. The theme is MSC Malaysia 2.0: Contributing to Malaysia’s New Economic Model.
It will focus on ideas that will help reinforce MSC Malaysia’s relevance as the national ICT initiative to generate and sustain the economic-growth and wealth creation of the nation by transforming it into an innovation-led, knowledge-rich and progressive society.
Meanwhile, Malaysia was the first South-East Asian country to host the high-profile World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) last year. It beat India to host this prestigious event.
WCIT is a forum that brings together global leaders in business, government and academia to discuss policies and ideas on information technology. It is held every two years and has a 30-year history.
The event, which starts Nov 10 is hosting less delegates and speakers than the one last year, which was on a grander scale because it coincided with the prestigious World Congress on Information Technology conference in the capital.
However, the speakers and attendees will still make up a comprehensive cross-section of IT experts, comprising technologists, academicians, futurists and social entrepreneurs.
MDeC decided to streamline the number of delegates to enable the discussions to move quicker, as well as to have the ability to dwell longer on the more interesting topics without creating a backlog in presentations.
“A smaller group will allow us to be more focused on what is needed to take the MSC Malaysia forward,” said Datuk Badlisham Ghazali, MDeC chief executive officer, at a press conference on the IAP meeting.
MSC Malaysia, conceptualised in 1996, is a government initiative to leapfrog the country’s knowledge-based economy and move the people into the Information Age.
Foreign and home grown companies, numbering more than 900, are part of the initiative and are operating in high-tech areas nationwide. These businesses are involved in R&D work, multimedia products and services, as well as information and communications technology (ICT).
Guest speakers
This year’s IAP meeting, themed Innovation Economy: Paving the Path to Prosperity, will be at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC), located about 25km from Kuala Lumpur.
The topics of discussion include how to keep the MSC Malaysia at the forefront of assisting Malaysia’s economic recovery and creating future prosperity via an innovation-based economy.
Also up for discussion are the programmes that will be needed to create new jobs via ICT, develop world-class talent and, attract domestic and foreign investments.
Among the speakers will be Prof Muhammad Yunus, founder of the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, which makes tiny loans for self-employment to some of the poorest people in that country.
He found that such micro-financing helped those people to survive, as well as created the spark of personal initiative and enterprise necessary for them to pull themselves out of poverty.
Also coming here is Brian Mefford, chief executive officer of the Connected Nation, an organisation that works in the trenches to bridge the “digital divide,” that gap between the technology haves and have-nots.
It also believes that states, communities, families and individuals can realise great economic and social advantages when nations accelerate broadband availability in underserved areas and increase broadband use in all areas, rural and urban.
Mefford and his team were responsible for helping make broadband available in the US state of Kentucky, under what was called the Connected Kentucky Initiative.
Both speakers will share their insights into how similar programmes can be just as useful in this country.
Other key issues
Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Fadillah Yusof, who officiated at the press conference, said the IAP meeting will also look at ways to accelerate the country toward a high-income, knowledge-based economy through innovation and the creativity of its people.
It will also deliberate on education, technology, entrepreneurship, robotics, content development and broadband utilisation — all of which will help generate a blueprint for the country to achieve its economic and development goals.
Badlisham said the IAP has been very useful in pointing Malaysia in the right direction and helping it to stay the path over the years. “It will continue to help us look at the areas where we should be focusing on,” he added.
This meeting, he said, will assist MDeC in bringing the MSC Malaysia into its third phase, which is set to kick off in 2011.
The third phase places priority on creating a demand for local IT services — inside and outside the country — that will drive various sectors of the Malaysian economy.
Badlisham said MDeC will also seek the advice of the IAP on which technology sectors would benefit from further stimulus. MDeC has already identified several but would like to focus some additional expertise on the matter.
The IAP meeting is an annual conference and this year’s is the 12th in the series.
Present and past
Another conference, the 21st MSC Malaysia Implementation Council Meeting, will take place a day before the IAP meeting, at the PICC. The theme is MSC Malaysia 2.0: Contributing to Malaysia’s New Economic Model.
It will focus on ideas that will help reinforce MSC Malaysia’s relevance as the national ICT initiative to generate and sustain the economic-growth and wealth creation of the nation by transforming it into an innovation-led, knowledge-rich and progressive society.
Meanwhile, Malaysia was the first South-East Asian country to host the high-profile World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) last year. It beat India to host this prestigious event.
WCIT is a forum that brings together global leaders in business, government and academia to discuss policies and ideas on information technology. It is held every two years and has a 30-year history.
NEWS: Malaysians still big on online shopping
KUALA LUMPUR: Despite the weakened economy, Malaysians are entering into the festive spirit, with 6 in 10 shoppers expected to spend more or the same amount during the upcoming holiday season, as compared to last year.
According to the latest PayPal survey, the average festive spend amongst Malaysians this year is expected to be RM730, with Chinese New Year topping the spending charts and averaging RM954 per person.
PayPal is an online payment service owned by Internet auction giant eBay.
Malaysians also proved to be savvy online shoppers, with more than half intending to shop online and 44% of overall holiday expenditure expected to be spent online.
They cited time (75%), crowds (64%) and access to a wider range of products (51%) as the main reasons for avoiding the brick-and-mortar shops.
Two in five Malaysians prefer buying from online overseas merchants, citing product availability and choice, the offer of well-known brands and a more appealing website experience as the top reasons for shopping overseas.
Yet, overseas sellers should take note of buyer dislikes — high delivery fees, lengthy delivery times and lack of contact during a dispute were cited as the major disadvantages to shopping on overseas websites.
Shopping overseas
When it comes to online shopping, Malaysians are looking for a wider product range, assurance in payment security and product quality for the optimum online shopping experience.
“Many online merchants will be gearing up for the festive period and encouragingly it looks like spending is due to remain stable, if not rise in Malaysia,” said Mario Shiliashki, general manager of PayPal South-East Asia and India.
“Out of the four countries surveyed, Malaysia showed the strongest preference for overseas merchants online.”
The PayPal survey was conducted by BlackBox from Aug 17 to 30. There were a total of 1,203 participants — 300 respondents per country in India, Singapore and Malaysia, as well as 303 in Thailand.
Respondents were made up of online and non-online shoppers, and the major festive seasons polled were Christmas, Chinese New Year and Hari Raya.
To allow Asian merchants to connect with international online buyers and drive cross-border trade, PayPal recently launched an online Asia Mall at www.paypal-apac.com/apac-mall.
For more information on PayPal, go to www.paypal.com/my.
According to the latest PayPal survey, the average festive spend amongst Malaysians this year is expected to be RM730, with Chinese New Year topping the spending charts and averaging RM954 per person.
PayPal is an online payment service owned by Internet auction giant eBay.
Malaysians also proved to be savvy online shoppers, with more than half intending to shop online and 44% of overall holiday expenditure expected to be spent online.
They cited time (75%), crowds (64%) and access to a wider range of products (51%) as the main reasons for avoiding the brick-and-mortar shops.
Two in five Malaysians prefer buying from online overseas merchants, citing product availability and choice, the offer of well-known brands and a more appealing website experience as the top reasons for shopping overseas.
Yet, overseas sellers should take note of buyer dislikes — high delivery fees, lengthy delivery times and lack of contact during a dispute were cited as the major disadvantages to shopping on overseas websites.
Shopping overseas
When it comes to online shopping, Malaysians are looking for a wider product range, assurance in payment security and product quality for the optimum online shopping experience.
“Many online merchants will be gearing up for the festive period and encouragingly it looks like spending is due to remain stable, if not rise in Malaysia,” said Mario Shiliashki, general manager of PayPal South-East Asia and India.
“Out of the four countries surveyed, Malaysia showed the strongest preference for overseas merchants online.”
The PayPal survey was conducted by BlackBox from Aug 17 to 30. There were a total of 1,203 participants — 300 respondents per country in India, Singapore and Malaysia, as well as 303 in Thailand.
Respondents were made up of online and non-online shoppers, and the major festive seasons polled were Christmas, Chinese New Year and Hari Raya.
To allow Asian merchants to connect with international online buyers and drive cross-border trade, PayPal recently launched an online Asia Mall at www.paypal-apac.com/apac-mall.
For more information on PayPal, go to www.paypal.com/my.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
NEWS: ICANN okays Chinese, Hindi, other scripts for URL suffixes
SEOUL: The nonprofit body that oversees Internet addresses approved Friday the use of Hebrew, Hindi, Korean and other scripts not based on the Latin alphabet in a decision that could make the Web dramatically more inclusive.
The board of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) voted to allow such scripts in so-called domain names at the conclusion of a week-long meeting in Seoul, South Korea’s capital. The decision follows years of debate and testing.
The decision clears the way for governments or their designees to submit requests for specific names, likely beginning Nov 16.
Internet users could start seeing them in use early next year, particularly in Arabic, Chinese and other scripts in which demand has been among the highest, ICANN officials say.
“This is absolutely delightful news,” said Edward Yu, CEO of Analysys International, an Internet research and consulting firm in Beijing, emphasising that the Internet would become more accessible to users with lower incomes and education. Yu spoke ahead of the approval, which had been widely expected.
Domain names -- the Internet addresses that end in “.com” and other suffixes -- are the key monikers behind every Web site, e-mail address and Twitter post.
Since their creation in the 1980s, domain names have been limited to the 26 characters in the Latin alphabet used in English (A-Z) as well as 10 numerals and the hyphen. Technical tricks have been used to allow portions of the Internet address to use other scripts, but until now, the suffix had to use those 37 characters.
That has meant Internet users with little or no knowledge of English might still have to type in Latin characters to access webpages in Chinese or Arabic. Although search engines can sometimes help users reach those sites, companies still need to include Latin characters on billboards and other advertisements.
Now, ICANN is allowing those same technical tricks to apply to the suffix as well, allowing the Internet to be truly multilingual.
Many of the estimated 1.5 billion people online use languages such as Chinese, Thai, Arabic and Japanese, which have writing systems entirely different from English, French, German, Indonesian, Swahili and others that use Latin characters. -- AP
The board of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) voted to allow such scripts in so-called domain names at the conclusion of a week-long meeting in Seoul, South Korea’s capital. The decision follows years of debate and testing.
The decision clears the way for governments or their designees to submit requests for specific names, likely beginning Nov 16.
Internet users could start seeing them in use early next year, particularly in Arabic, Chinese and other scripts in which demand has been among the highest, ICANN officials say.
“This is absolutely delightful news,” said Edward Yu, CEO of Analysys International, an Internet research and consulting firm in Beijing, emphasising that the Internet would become more accessible to users with lower incomes and education. Yu spoke ahead of the approval, which had been widely expected.
Domain names -- the Internet addresses that end in “.com” and other suffixes -- are the key monikers behind every Web site, e-mail address and Twitter post.
Since their creation in the 1980s, domain names have been limited to the 26 characters in the Latin alphabet used in English (A-Z) as well as 10 numerals and the hyphen. Technical tricks have been used to allow portions of the Internet address to use other scripts, but until now, the suffix had to use those 37 characters.
That has meant Internet users with little or no knowledge of English might still have to type in Latin characters to access webpages in Chinese or Arabic. Although search engines can sometimes help users reach those sites, companies still need to include Latin characters on billboards and other advertisements.
Now, ICANN is allowing those same technical tricks to apply to the suffix as well, allowing the Internet to be truly multilingual.
Many of the estimated 1.5 billion people online use languages such as Chinese, Thai, Arabic and Japanese, which have writing systems entirely different from English, French, German, Indonesian, Swahili and others that use Latin characters. -- AP
NEWS: L.A. okays plan to use Google Apps
LOS ANGELES: City Council members have tentatively approved a multimillion-dollar proposal to tap Google Inc for government e-mail and other Internet services.
This is seen as a boon for the Web giant as it seeks to wrest market share for office software from rival Microsoft Corp.
The Council voted unanimously for the US$7.2mil (RM25mil) deal with contractor Computer Sciences Corp to replace many city computer systems with the so-called Google Apps services.
An amendment added shortly before the vote makes the contract contingent on Computer Science agreeing to pay a preset penalty if a security breach occurs.
The contractor’s project manager David Barber said he believed such an agreement would be reached.
The city’s police officers’ union and privacy advocates had raised security concerns over the Google contract because it places data online rather than on individual computers under the city’s direct control.
Under the deal, Google will provide e-mail, calendar, online chatting and other services to 30,000 city employees. — AP
This is seen as a boon for the Web giant as it seeks to wrest market share for office software from rival Microsoft Corp.
The Council voted unanimously for the US$7.2mil (RM25mil) deal with contractor Computer Sciences Corp to replace many city computer systems with the so-called Google Apps services.
An amendment added shortly before the vote makes the contract contingent on Computer Science agreeing to pay a preset penalty if a security breach occurs.
The contractor’s project manager David Barber said he believed such an agreement would be reached.
The city’s police officers’ union and privacy advocates had raised security concerns over the Google contract because it places data online rather than on individual computers under the city’s direct control.
Under the deal, Google will provide e-mail, calendar, online chatting and other services to 30,000 city employees. — AP
NEWS: 2,000 smart schools by end of next year
WITH 15 rural schools recently added to the 88 smart schools in April this year, Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) along with the Education Ministry is looking at increasing the number of smart schools 100-fold by the end of next year.
At a recent luncheon with the media, MDeC general manager Dr Norrizan Razali said, “We are very much on schedule in carrying this out, and by the end of 2010, we should have 10,000 smart schools in the country.”
She said that in order to achieve an exponential growth like this, current smart schools would have to be models to the other schools, and through a “buddy system,” teachers would be able to learn new teaching methods from those currently teaching in smart schools.
She added that the criteria for selection would be based on their academic readiness and location.
Since 2007, smart schools have been evaluated through a measurement tool implemented by the ministry and MDeC, which is called the Smart School Qualification Standards (SSQS).
Teachers, students and administrators use the SSQS each year to run an evaluation of their performance, and from there, the ministry and MDeC would rate these schools.
“There are currently 69 schools out of the 88 that have a five-star rating, which means that these schools are in the advanced stage,” said Norrizan.
She added that out of the 10,000 smart schools next year, 500 were expected to get five-star rating while 2,000 were expected to get four-star status. “The minimum for smart schools is three-stars,” she said.
Norrizan said that the smart school concept would be applicable to all schools as it is not only meant for smaller classrooms, rather, “the smart school system is one that could be implemented into any classroom, big or small, because it is there to aid the current syllabus and make learning a wholesome one.” — By ALYCIA LIM
At a recent luncheon with the media, MDeC general manager Dr Norrizan Razali said, “We are very much on schedule in carrying this out, and by the end of 2010, we should have 10,000 smart schools in the country.”
She said that in order to achieve an exponential growth like this, current smart schools would have to be models to the other schools, and through a “buddy system,” teachers would be able to learn new teaching methods from those currently teaching in smart schools.
She added that the criteria for selection would be based on their academic readiness and location.
Since 2007, smart schools have been evaluated through a measurement tool implemented by the ministry and MDeC, which is called the Smart School Qualification Standards (SSQS).
Teachers, students and administrators use the SSQS each year to run an evaluation of their performance, and from there, the ministry and MDeC would rate these schools.
“There are currently 69 schools out of the 88 that have a five-star rating, which means that these schools are in the advanced stage,” said Norrizan.
She added that out of the 10,000 smart schools next year, 500 were expected to get five-star rating while 2,000 were expected to get four-star status. “The minimum for smart schools is three-stars,” she said.
Norrizan said that the smart school concept would be applicable to all schools as it is not only meant for smaller classrooms, rather, “the smart school system is one that could be implemented into any classroom, big or small, because it is there to aid the current syllabus and make learning a wholesome one.” — By ALYCIA LIM
NEWS: University of Puthisastra delegation visit SEGi UC
(From left) Dato’ Dr. Patrick Teoh Seng Foo, Mr Sok Puthyvuth and his 2 delegates from Cambodia 29 October 2009
The Vice Chairman of University of Puthisastra, Cambodia, and his delegation visited SEGi University College today as a prelude to a possible collaboration between the University with SEGi.
Mr Sok Puthyvuth, Vice Chairman of Board of Directors of University of Puthisastra as well as CEO of Soma Group, were given a campus tour and met up with Dato’ Dr. Patrick Teoh Seng Foo, Executive Deputy Chairman/President of SEG International Berhad.
Mr Puthyvuth was very impressed with the grandeur of campus and its facilities. After the tour, he and his delegates had a constructive discussion with Professor Dr B.C. Tan, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) of SEGi University College.
The University of Puthisastra is the first University in Cambodia to receive accreditation from Microsoft USA to be a Microsoft IT Academy and Prometric Testing Center for getting certification from Microsoft
The Vice Chairman of University of Puthisastra, Cambodia, and his delegation visited SEGi University College today as a prelude to a possible collaboration between the University with SEGi.
Mr Sok Puthyvuth, Vice Chairman of Board of Directors of University of Puthisastra as well as CEO of Soma Group, were given a campus tour and met up with Dato’ Dr. Patrick Teoh Seng Foo, Executive Deputy Chairman/President of SEG International Berhad.
Mr Puthyvuth was very impressed with the grandeur of campus and its facilities. After the tour, he and his delegates had a constructive discussion with Professor Dr B.C. Tan, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) of SEGi University College.
The University of Puthisastra is the first University in Cambodia to receive accreditation from Microsoft USA to be a Microsoft IT Academy and Prometric Testing Center for getting certification from Microsoft
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
