KUALA LUMPUR: The government is considering measures to reduce the cost of digital tools ahead of Budget 2027 to make technology more accessible and encourage wider adoption.
Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo said discussions are ongoing, but added that Prime Minister and Finance Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim would ultimately decide on any measures and announce them when the Budget is tabled.
“We move now towards the Budget. The next session of Parliament is the Budget session. I have said numerous times that I hope the prime minister will consider looking at reducing cost measures when it comes to tools that help industries and that help society as a whole,“ Gobind told reporters at the launch of Boost SME here today.
However, he declined to provide details on the measures being considered. “Discussions are ongoing. I am not going to say anything now because decisions will be made by the prime minister and finance minister and tabled at the Budget.“
The government is committed to creating an environment that supports businesses and makes it easier for them to succeed as Malaysia navigates rapid technological change, Gobind said.
The Ministry of Digital’s approach to driving digital adoption centres on what he described as the “3As – Awareness, Access and Adoption”.
“People need to know that you are going to have platforms like this which will assist them. They need to understand how this changes things. They need to understand the return on their investment in the event they decide to use it,“ Gobind said.
He added that awareness alone is not enough, as businesses also need access to digital tools that are cost-effective and easy to use.
“Access is important from many different perspectives, but in this particular context, I think cost.
We want to make sure that people out there are attracted to the product that we have created, and ultimately, they are also attracted to the fact that it’s cost-effective. It’s something that they can use, and ultimately that’s something that’s going to help to grow their businesses.”
The final step is adoption, Gobind said, where businesses use technology to generate tangible benefits. “Once that happens, right, then you become the greatest beneficiary of it all, because at the end of the day, you build that platform which strengthens the economy of the country.”
He said the challenge is not merely to introduce policies and incentives, but to ensure they reach their intended beneficiaries.
“There are so many incentives that are out there which people do not know about. There are so many applications that are made that are not approved, not because the people who are applying for it are not eligible, but because certain documents were not in order, but no one tells them.”
As a result, Gobind said, there could be a disconnect between government announcements and businesses’ ability to access available support.
“On the receiving end, it would appear as though there are so many announcements, great announcements, but people don’t have access because the benefit and the strength of what we launch doesn’t trickle down to the target groups that need them most,“ he added.
The minister said platforms such as Boost SME could help bridge this gap by simplifying access to business tools and services while showing SMEs how technology could improve their operations.
“The objective is to simplify the process as much as possible and demonstrate how businesses can operate effectively in today’s environment. We want to support organisations in achieving their current objectives, but also encourage them to look beyond the immediate opportunities.
“By leveraging these capabilities more strategically, they can unlock significantly greater value, improve performance and position themselves for stronger long-term growth.”
The aim, Gobind said, is ultimately to increase productivity, reduce costs and help businesses grow.
Close collaboration between the government and industry is increasingly important as technological development accelerates. “The reality is that technology is developing so fast that even governments can’t keep up,“ Gobind said.
He said this is one reason the Ministry of Digital was established in 2023, to better understand industry needs and bring those concerns into the policymaking process.
“You can have policies, and policies are well and good, but if there’s no one to execute those policies, that’s a problem,“ Gobind said. “If there’s no one to tell you while you actually execute those policies that those policies are not working, then you have a bigger problem.”
Gobind said governments must also be willing to address weaknesses identified during implementation.
“We need to trigger the problems. We need to sit with those people in the know, speak to them, hear those uncomfortable truths that governments ordinarily try and avoid, and deal with that,“ he said.
“See how it is we can make sure that we’re able to make things easier for industries, businesses, and ultimately society as a whole.”
Gobind stressed that discussions on technology and digitalisation could not take place in isolation. “Governments must be in the room.”
Both government and industry must remain agile as technology evolves, he said. “Technology is going to change everything. A platform we create today might well be overtaken by new technology in the near future, so we need to be able to be agile so that we can improve as we go along.”
