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11-MAR-2011
The Star Online
Changes aplenty in Malaysian cyber world
Dr Mohamed Awang Lah is known to be very passionate about the the world
of the Internet as nearly three decades ago he was
the man who pioneered Internet service in the
country.
Over the last few years he has been vocal about
the need for an open access network. He feels
Malaysia needs an independent network for all
companies to use.
He has left Jaring, a company he was instrumental
in building recently, but Jaring over the years
has had its own challenges.
He may return to the corporate world, but "not at
the moment." For now he likes his "free and
easy" life which allows him to unwind and watch
"dramas unfold" on the screens.
Succeeding him at Jaring is Nik Abdul Aziz Nik
Yaacob, who is no newcomer to the industry.
Maxis Bhd will also see its strong woman - not
physically but in terms of financial numbers -
Rossana Rashid, leaving as her contract expires in
May. She has been there for eight years and
succeeding her is Nasution Mohamed, the former
CEO/MD of Penerbangan Malaysia Bhd.
Changes are inevitable in the sector that
continues to evolve at a fast pace. There is
always a need for talent as people in the sector
are often enticed to join rivals.Changes are also happening at the industry's
regulator. Some senior directors have retired and
some others have been promoted. A reorganisation
is said to be in the works to better align people
to their jobs, and hiring to fill the gaps of
those who have left and to meet demand as
portfolios of some grow bigger.
Talking about leaving, late last year, even the
most senior man - not in age - was said to have
thrown in his letter. The reasons were not known
but then some parties managed to talk him into
staying.
Of late, the buzz is that Datuk Mohamed Sharil is
back at the commission three days a week and would
still remain advisor to the Minister two days a
week. However, if you look at the organisational
chart posted on the regulator's website, he still
is the advisor and this has got the industry
asking if he is back as COO.
The organisation chart dates back to December 6
and some of the senior directors who retired still
have their smiling pictures on the chart.
That aside, talent management is a huge task but
if someone has the expertise, foresight, and can
execute, then he should be put to the test.
What and how the talent is managed at MCMC, it is
up to them but the industry would like 'some
certainty and direction' as they feel that 'there
is a growing period of regulatory
unpredictability.'
This may have arisen as much of the focus last
year was to get the broadband penetration levels
to reach 50%.
That was achieved and Syabas to all those who
contributed and pushed it through but in the
process a lot of other things were apparently
overlooked.There is also lack of engagement between the
players and the regulator and the regulator's role
as facilitator is also diminishing.
The industry also wants answers, and fast answers
like how long the 2.6G evaluation process will
take, how and when the USP issue will be
addressed, what is the status of the spectrum re-
farming process, how the 700Mhz will be
distributed and many others.
They also need clarity over the digital lifestyle
concept,' as the last thing they want is
'priorities gone wrong which leads to sheer
wastefulness.'
So, basically what's next?
An industry as robust as the telecoms cannot
afford to take a break just because decisions are
slow to come by, delivery is not timely, execution
is not well planned and thought through, and
evaluations take forever.
Bear in mind that the Prime Minister has said
umpteen times that Malaysia needs to transform
into a digital economy as ICT is central to
economic growth, so things should be done at
super-fast speed.
And some companies need to plan, predict, invest
and guide as their investors are not just local
but global funds.
Whatever the uncertainly, it does not bode well if
we want to attract investors, and again, if I were
to take Singapore as an example, some people will
shriek.
But a player did point out that 'if you compare
what IDC is doing versus us, there is a huge
difference.'
So do we blame others if they say we are back at
the crossroads?'
Maybe we need to reshape and refine.
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