PUTRAJAYA: Microsoft Corporation today announced its "Bersama Malaysia" (Together with Malaysia) initiative, a long-term commitment to empower the nation's digital technology and advance digital transformation across the private and public sectors.
The initiative is a testament of Microsoft's commitment to invest at least US$1 billion (RM4 billion) over the next five years.
The investment includes the establishment of Microsoft's first data centre region in Malaysia and empowering one million Malaysians with digital skills by the end of 2023
In his keynote address at the launching ceremony of the said initiative, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the significant amount in investment pledged by Microsoft further fortified Malaysia's position as a potential regional data hub
"As we cement the Microsoft partnership today, I hope this is just the first green shoots of a broader meadow of investments in Malaysia, for Microsoft and other data players," he said.
Among cabinet members present during the launching ceremony were International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Azmin Ali, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Economy) Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed, Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz and Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan.
Microsoft Malaysia managing director, K. Raman, was also present.
Malaysia, said Muhyiddin, stood ready to welcome more such partnerships as the country worked with its stakeholders to continually improve Malaysia's value proposition in big data space.
According to International Data Corporation, he said, the ripple effects of the data centre region investment under the initiative could translate into US$6.90 (RM28.30) of revenue generated in the local cloud ecosystem for every US$1 (RM4.20) of Microsoft Malaysia's cloud revenue by 2024.
"It is estimated that it will help create 19,000 employment opportunities including 4,000 IT-related jobs among its users," he said.
To leverage on big data, he said Malaysia required a backbone of not only connectivity and data storage but also skilled human capital with data science capabilities.
As such, Muhyiddin said Malaysia welcomed the many public-private partnerships formed by Microsoft under the initiative.
In the preliminary stage, he said, the partners would include Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit (Mampu), Human Resources Development Fund, Petronas, Celcom and Grab.
"Being part of Bersama Malaysia initiative, I was also made to understand by Microsoft that these partnerships will help skill up to one million Malaysians by end of 2023.
"I hope these successful partnerships can be a template to bridge the digital divide and empower each Malaysian through technology adoption.
"This is very much in line with digitalisation, being primed to play a key medium to long-term enabler role in the upcoming Twelfth 'Five-Year Malaysia Plan' (12MP) and Shared Prosperity Vision (WKB2030)," he said.
Muhyiddin later witnessed the signing of five Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) between Microsoft and Mampu, Human Resources Development Fund, Petroliam Nasional Bhd, Celcom Axiata and Grab Malaysia.
Microsoft has also been appointed as the Cloud Service Provider to the government.