Pikom lauds launch of Business Digitalisation Initiative by Digital Ministry

• Significant step in enhancing digital competitiveness of MSMEs in Malaysia
• Beyond tech, aims to create enabling ecosystem that supports firms  holistically

In a statement, the National Tech Association of Malaysia (PIKOM), which represents over 2,000 member companies spanning the ICT ecosystem, lauded the newly launched Business Digitalisation Initiative (BDI) by the Ministry of Digital (KD) and Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), together with SME Corp Malaysia. Pikom described it as a significant step forward in enhancing the digital competitiveness of Malaysia’s Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) — which in turn, strengthen the nation’s economic resilience.

Pointing to the scale and scope of the BDI, which brings together government agencies, financial institutions, digital banks, technology providers and enablers to support MSMEs in their digital journey, Alex Liew, Pikom chairman said, “It is a remarkable undertaking by KD, MDEC and SME Corp. Uniting stakeholders from across the tech and financial services landscape under a common vision requires strong leadership and coordination.”

He added that this demonstrated a strong grasp of real-world challenges faced by MSMEs from Gobind Singh Deo, Digital Minister and Anuar Fariz Fadzil, MDEC CEO, coupled with their determination to address them.

Liew expressed Pikom’s confidence that the BDI has the potential to create a ripple effect across the economy by enabling businesses — whether micro, small, medium or large — to embrace digital transformation, improve operational efficiency and unlock new growth opportunities.

BDI goes beyond technology deployment. It aims to create an enabling ecosystem that supports MSMEs holistically — including talent upskilling, access to funding, capacity building and affordable digital tools such as e-invoicing solutions based on the Peppol framework. The end goal is to ensure that MSMEs are not only ready for digitalisation but can also scale and compete beyond Malaysia’s borders.

“MSMEs should capitalise on this opportunity to assess their digital maturity, identify gaps and take the next step toward a smarter, more agile and future-ready business model,” said Liew.

Assuming the role of Chairman last Dec, Liew said, “Together with my fellow councillors, we aim to cultivate greater industry collaboration. This initiative reflects Pikom’s commitment to empowering businesses with the right tools, insights and partnerships to thrive in the digital economy. We are proud to support this important national agenda and will continue to encourage active participation from our members.”