Malaysia Challenges Singapore As Regional Tech Hub

KUALA LUMPUR, May 6 (Bernama) -- A decade of shrewd government policies are paying dividends in Malaysia, which is challenging Singapore as the region's technology hub. Scoot, Malaysia's No.1 Entry Level Jobs Website, said it will be interesting to see if Singapore rises up the challenge that Malaysia poses over the next few years. "Given Singapore's higher costs, we believe it may struggle to maintain the status quo," the company said in a statement Tuesday. It said Malaysia benefits from a larger, lower cost and more diverse population, and in recent years has started to attract expatriates. The country has steadily been making progress in the region with implementation of the Multimedia Super Corridor and creation of technology city, Cyberjaya. Cyberjaya, a global technology hub, is home to more than 40 multinational corporations including HSBC, IBM and BMW, as well as another 800 technology-oriented companies. Another government initiative, the Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Centre or MaGIC, was launched in 2014 to create a "mini Silicon Valley ecosystem", Scoot said. To date, it pointed out, Malaysian GrabTaxi or popularly known as "MyTeksi", has taken a dominant position in South East Asia, operating in 16 cities. MyTeksi is an automated location based smartphone booking and dispatch platform for taxis. -- BERNAMA