Don’t lose your staying power, PM advises MSC Malaysia
The Star – 8/4/2006
CYBERJAYA: As the Multimedia Super Corridor celebrates its 10th anniversary this year with a new brand name, MSC Malaysia, it received a gentle reminder from Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi: “Don’t lose your staying power.”  
The Prime Minister said that while MSC Malaysia was still spearheading the ICT transformation, it must continue to make progress and be established as a global brand to elevate the country’s status.  
“We are never short of ideas, but only short on implementation,” he said at the launch of the MSC Multimedia Content Initiative (M-CMCI) in conjunction with MSC Malaysia’s anniversary celebrations here yesterday.   
“We start many things early but, along the way, other countries overtake us. Somehow, we have lost the staying power, probably because we face problems and obstacles.   
“Failure is not an option, we must succeed.”  The M-CMCI is an initiative to develop the creative multimedia industry which has a global worth of US$644bil (RM2,383bil).   
Abdullah said the move to re-brand and rejuvenate MSC Malaysia’s image was to provide more emphasis that it was a national project and its benefits are enjoyed by the people.  
“In other words, MSC Malaysia’s initiatives are not solely owned by M-DeC or Cyberjaya but they belong to all Malaysians irrespective of race, religion or status,” he said.  
Earlier, Abdullah announced that the Multimedia Development Corporation, the caretaker of MSC Malaysia, would now be known as M-DeC.  
“MSC Malaysia’s brand mission theme Win Hearts at Home, Win Battles Abroad reflects its role as the key driver and enabler for the local ICT sector to penetrate local and global markets,” he added.  Abdullah said that over the last 10 years, the MSC had succeeded in establishing a strong foundation for the creation of a knowledge-based economy and community.  
He said the number of users of personal computers had risen from 888,000 in 1996 to 4.2 million now, while the Internet penetration rate had shot up from 1.8% of the population in 1998 to almost 40% today.  In 1996, the country had less than 300 ICT companies. It now has reached 3,400.  
Source: The Star | http://thestar.com.my