CMCO In Line With New Normal That Leverages On Ict & e-Economy: DON

By Azlee Nor Mahmud KUALA LUMPUR, May 5 (Bernama) -- The conditional movement control order (CMCO) which was initiated this week is in line with the new normal that will leverage on information and communications technology (ICT) and the electronic economy (e-economy), said Islamic Science University of Malaysia (USIM) vice chancellor, Professor Dr. Mohamed Ridza Wahiddin. “ICT and e-economy (in relation to CMCO) are also the backbone and integral component of our nation’s business continuity plan and disaster management, of which actions taken (by the government) are good and timely,” he told Bernama here Tuesday. Mohamed Ridza said the challenge is to cut across the different sectors as soon as possible to jump-start and fast-track Malaysia’s economy. “Malaysia is a trading nation and we rely a lot on providing services. “The COVID-19 pandemic is a global issue. Hence, virtually all major countries are economically vulnerable and if the CMCO is announced later (than it should be) then Malaysia will lose out,” he said. Meanwhile, an information technology (IT) analyst, Mohd Fazli Azran Abd Malek, said the CMCO announcement was in line with the aspirations of the cybersecurity sector, which he said should be categorised as an essential service in the digital age as it has become a need rather than an accessory. “At the same time, I do realise there is a lot of pressure coming from multiple parties, particularly business owners, to kick-start the CMCO, as they have to cover employee costs due to companies being dormant since the start of the MCO,” he told Bernama here today. Mohd Fazli Azran, who is also an IT industry practitioner, said there are ICT personnel working remotely but there are also those who need to be present on-site during the CMCO, depending on the support and maintenance jobs required. “A while back, those involved in cybersecurity would only need to be remote, but now organisations that require cybersecurity would also need cybersecurity personnel to set up physically and the set-up needs approval. “Cybersecurity jobs which require physical presence need to be allowed in advance to operate, to help organisations set up cybersecurity,” he said. Mohd Fazli Azran said the cybersecurity sector is dependent on demand from customers’ or firms’ cybersecurity budget, but opined that they should increase their budget to be protected from cyber threats, while advancing the country’s digital agenda. He said the nation is vulnerable to cyber threats, as there is no clear standard operating procedure (SOP) from organisations for staff working from home, and it is currently based on trial and error. “The cybersecurity sector also needs to interact with customers rather than being solely remote, because with cybersecurity personnel’s presence, customers believe that cybersecurity personnel are executing work,” he said. The COVID-19 pandemic, he noted, has made the country realise the importance of cybersecurity services, SOPs and policies as people work from home. -- BERNAMA