Malaysia must intensity IT efforts(Monash University Sunway)

Saadat M. Alhashmi

THE next three to five years are crucial for Malaysia to make its mark on the Information Technology (IT) sector, a Monash University Sunway campus academic says. “Countries such as Vietnam and China are growing fast and we need to hasten our pace if we want to turn Malaysia into an IT hub,” says the university’s School of Information Technology head Dr Saadat M. Alhashmi.

“If we don’t pick up our pace, we might miss the boat,” he says, adding that Computer Science degrees and computer analysis skills will continue to be demanded in the IT field.

He was responding to Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong who said recently that Malaysia is facing a shortage of talents in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector, and that there has been “a significant dip” in students enrolling on ICT courses.
Saadat, who echoed this concern, s ay s that the government, industry and universities need to nurture IT talent within institutions of higher learning.

“We have reached a point where this is a crisis. Big players will only come if they see talent here… there is no point setting up a company and then outsourcing to India.” India, he says, is becoming more expensive, causing companies to look for alter natives. Malaysia is poised to make an impact in the IT sector.

Saadat adds that through the school’s engagement with industry via its Industrial Insight Programme, companies are actively seeking students who can join them upon graduating.
“We have more offers than we have students,” he says, adding industry players search for students with IT know-how, married with soft skills.