MALAYSIA TOPS AT APICTA 2009 AWARDS IN AUSTRALIA

MELBOURNE, Dec 19 (Bernama) -- Malaysia once again showed its prowess at the
International Asia Pacific ICT Alliance (APICTA) Awards 2009 by walking away
with six awards.

Malaysia won the main awards in the Communication, Creation and Management
to New Media and Entertainment, e-Government and Financial Industry Application
categories.

The merit wins were in the Secondary Student Project and Tertiary Student
Project categories.

Tranglo Sdn Bhd was chosen as the winner in the Communication category,
SHOCK3D! for Creation and Management to New Media and Entertainment, Malaysian
Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit (MAMPU) for
e-Government and eBworx Berhad for Financial Industry Application.

The Sultan Alam Shah Secondary School team and the Multimedia University
(Cyberjaya) picked up the merit wins under the secondary student and the
tertiary student projects respectively.

The results of the competition was announced at a glittering gala dinner
ceremony at the Crown Tower Hotel here last night.

Malaysia's Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) chairman Abdul Halim
Ali, who was elated over the good performance, said it proved once again the
capability, quality and uniqueness of the products, services and solutions
created and offered by Malaysian companies, government agency and students.

"We are proud of their achievements which has brought further glory to
Malaysia as innovators in the ICT industry," he said.

MAMPU's Deputy Director of Infrastructure Development, eKL, Norhalina Abdul
said they were excited as it was one of the first projects conceptualised by a
Malaysian government agency to have won an International ICT award.

"We hope more government agencies will follow suit in taking part in such
competitions in the future," Norhalina said.

Creative director of SHOCK3D! Eugene Foo expressed his surprise over the win
because he said they anticipated stiff competition from the other nominees.

"We are very grateful to International APICTA as it gave recognition to the
creative industry and we could not have won if not for the teamwork at SHOCK3D!,
and the training and motivation by MDeC," Foo said.

Afeeq Shaszwan Zambree, who spoke on behalf of his team from the Sultan Alam
Shah Secondary School said they were feeling jubilant as it proved their
efforts had not been in vain.

"This win will spur us to take part in international competitions like
APICTA" he said.

At the ceremony, Abdul Halim also accepted the chairmanship for Malaysia to
host next year's International APICTA Awards 2010 in Kuala Lumpur.

In his acceptance speech, Abdul Halim conveyed an invitation to all APICTA
member economies to attend the APICTA Awards in Kuala Lumpur, which will mark
its 10th anniversary next year.

He said the event was ``very meaningful'' as Malaysia had mooted the
introduction of the awards and had hosted it in the initial two years.

MDeC led the Malaysian delegation to compete in 15 categories against
APICTA's member-economies including Australia, Brunei, China, Hong Kong,
India, Indonesia, Korea, Macau, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri
Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.

A total of 158 nominees from the APICTA member economies took part in
three-day event here.
-- BERNAMA