GO DIGITAL ASEAN COUNTRY LAUNCH: DIGITAL SKILLS TO ADDRESS MALAYSIA'S COVID-19 ECONOMIC IMPACT

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 25 -- The Asia Foundation -- fuelled by a US$3.3 million grant from Google’s philanthropic arm, Google.org -- will collaborate with The ASEAN Coordinating Committee on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (ACCMSME) to train up to 200,000 people from rural regions and underserved communities. (US$1 = RM4.044)

The programme focuses on closing the digital gap across ASEAN, in support of the vision set out by the ACCMSME’s Action Agenda on Digitalisation of ASEAN Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) through Capacity Building.

Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, who launched the programme in Malaysia, said collaboration between ACCMSME and The Asia Foundation, with Google.org support, contributed to capacity building of ASEAN MSMEs in digitalisation and would help realise the region’s digital integration as aspired by the ASEAN Digital Integration Framework.

Meanwhile, The Asia Foundation President, David D. Arnold said: “We are pleased to activate this first-of-its-kind collaboration — pooling expertise and approaches from government, business, and NGO sectors — to help bridge the digital gap.”

“In villages and secondary cities across the region, The Asia Foundation’s local country offices will lead a community network of trainers and volunteers to help integrate MSME owners and underemployed workers into the digital economy.”

In Malaysia, the selected implementing partners, International Youth Center and Startup Malaysia will utilise part of the funding to develop digital literacy training modules with a goal of supporting 15,000 unemployed youths and micro-entrepreneurs, 50 per cent of whom are females.

The training will focus on skills such as creating online profiles on professional network platforms, conducting business online through social media, and maximising job portals to improve employability.

In line with ASEAN’s expanding digital economy, the Malaysian Government is also heavily promoting digitalisation as one of the measures to ensure business sustainability and continuity, especially in facing the COVID-19 pandemic.

The successful partnership between the public and private sector in implementing this digital integration in the region will help close the digital literacy gap and could bring new opportunities and rewards for MSMEs in Malaysia and within ASEAN.

-- BERNAMA