Finally, we have a Communication and Multimedia Ministry; the convergence wave is now here

FINALLY, we have a Communication and Multimedia Ministry.
This was discussed a decade ago, given the convergence push then, but did not take off aggressively.
The convergence wave is now here.
Kudos
to the rebranding of the Information, Communication and Culture
Ministry to the Communication and Multimedia Ministry, given the
dynamism and vibrancy of the latter's landscape, where consumers are
hungry for broadband access, video, audio, graphics, images and
animation the elements of content and innovation. The creation of this
ministry is highly relevant because Malaysia is surging ahead to be a
developed nation and a digital platform is critical. Besides, it is
also wanting to be the creativity and innovation hub in the region.
Attracting
Pinewood Studios to hub at Iskandar Malaysia does say a lot about the
country's ambitions. Not to be missed is the fact that there are
several Malaysians and Malaysian companies doing commendable work for
Hollywood.
Malaysia's expertise in digital innovation and creativity is best epitomised by the Oscar-winning movie Life of Pi, where 45 Malaysians were involved in the digital animation portion of the blockbuster directed by Ang Lee.
That
is just one aspect of the vast realm of the communications and
multimedia sector. There are a lot more areas such as the digital
economy and social media. Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek has been appointed the new Minister, with Datuk Jailani Johari
deputising. Ahmad Shabery was formerly the Youth and Sports Minister,
and while he admits it is a very challenging post, he will find it
extremely interesting.
Jailani, on the other hand, is someone
from the industry, holding a high position at the Malaysian
Communications and Multimedia Commission, the industry regulator.
As
a regulator, Jailani would know what is needed to be done for Malaysia
to move forward, while Shabery, coming from the youth and sports
background, knows exactly what the future generation needs. Hence, it
is a good mix of talent and experise.
Their every move to set the tone for the growth of the industry going forward will be closely watched by industry players.
For
starters, it would be good to get serious about sound policies and
regulations, given the impact of social media on the world and the
element of intellectual property.
The journey of connecting
Malaysia has to be on super-speed dimensions because Malaysians need
the access. To be fair, there has been tremendous progress. However,
there are still pockets of the population who are without basic
connectivity, let alone high-speed broadband. Bridging this gap fast
would be good because we only have seven more years to achieve
developed-nation status.
As someone pointed out, there is a need
for good projects that benefit the masses, with proper implementation,
execution and enforcement at the top of the to-do list.
It would
be wise not to rush to curb the growth of the Internet and social
media, but find ways to grow it in an orderly fashion instead.
Build
a foundation that the young can appreciate, give them the opportunity
to excel and empower them so that they shine with the evolution of
technology.
Open and transparent processes, the development of
smaller area licencees, and transparency and accountability in the
usage of the Universal Service Provision (USP) fund, although existent,
should be enhanced.
Essentially, it is about mapping out what
the country needs to be digital-proof. It is time to do a reality check
on broadband, quality of service, bandwidth prices, USP and the rate of
dropped calls, significant steps to help Malaysia measure up and be
counted among the world's top league of communications and multimedia
nations.

Deputy news editor B.K. Sidhu believes the time has come for operators to not charge for voice calls.