MALAYSIA AIMING TO CAPTURE GLOBAL TECH MARKET, WITH CHINA AS KEY TARGET

From Christine Lim

SHANGHAI, Nov 25 (Bernama) -- Malaysia is aiming to capture the global information technology (IT) market with China as the key target market in Asia, Deputy Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Fadillah Yusof said Tuesday.

He said the "MSC Malaysia Goes Global in China" campaign led by the
Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) and the Science, Technology and
Innovation Ministry was among the plans to penetrate the China market.

The campaign started on Monday, followed by its official launch
Tuesday.

"There will be business match-making sessions during the three-day
campaign. This will be the first step forward towards strengthening our presence
in the China market," Fadillah said.

The MSC Malaysia was formerly known as Multimedia Super Corridor, a
Malaysian Government initiative designed to leapfrog Malaysia into the
information and knowledge age.

Fadillah and members of the Malaysian delegation held a business meeting
with Pudong Software Park Co Ltd's general manager Zhang Su Long before making a
tour of the Shanghai Pudong Software Park on Monday.

Jointly established by the Information Industry Ministry and Shanghai
Municipal Government, the Shanghai Pudong Software Park is a base for the
national software industry with over 12,000 employees.

Among the companies based there are well-known software enterprises from
Europe, the United States, Japan and India.

Though there is no Malaysian company at the software park, Fadillah said
there is potential for Malaysian software enterprises to set up offices there in
the near future.

According to Zhang, foreign companies can enjoy tax break as high as 100
percent for the first two years of operating profits.

Meanwhile, Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) chief executive
officer Badlisham Ghazali said it hoped to attract interest in Malaysia's
IT-based industry during the global campaign in Shanghai.

Speaking at the meeting Monday at the Shanghai Pudong Software Park,
Badlisham said Malaysia has over 2,000 companies involved in software and
services in 12 technology parks.

MDeC business and market development director Rob Cayzer said the focus
would be on creating attention among the business community and media on
Malaysia's strength and potential in the IT sector during the campaign.

"China is a complex market because of its size and nature of the economy.
Each market is different and has its way of doing business. It can take up to
five years for successful partnerships to develop," Cayzer told Bernama on the
sidelines of the Shanghai Pudong Software Park tour Monday.

"IT business needs a lot of stamina. You have to understand the market," he
said.

Cayzer said from contacts with IT companies and industry associations as
well as buyers from Chinese government-linked companies, MDeC hoped to see some
successful partnerships between Chinese and Malaysian enterprises.

He identified Shanghai and Beijing as key markets in China with business
potential in the government, finance and telecommunication sectors.