This article first appeared in Digital Edge, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on November 27, 2023 - December 3, 2023

Sixty-three per cent of Malaysians are concerned about data privacy and security, while one in three young Malaysians cite this as their reason for switching off their devices, according to the Telenor Asia Digital Lives Decoded 2023 study.

The Digital Lives Decoded study is in its second year. More than 8,000 mobile internet users across Bangladesh, Pakistan, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines have participated in the surveys.

Notably, Malaysians have surpassed Thai consumers in being the most connected, with 89% of Malaysian users recorded to be on their devices for more than half a day. Of this figure, 73% expect to increase their mobile usage in the future.

A number of Malaysian youths (aged 18 to 29), concerned about their data privacy and security, indicated their struggle with keeping up with technological advances and concern about a skills gap that could expose them to risks such as scams and security breaches.

Meanwhile, a staggering 90% of Malaysians have expressed greater concern for the elderly and vulnerable family members when it comes to online safety.

The emphasis on increasing awareness among young Malaysians has brought into focus the role of educators in digital education.

“It is really about starting with awareness and moving up the ladder because being aware that scams do exist is not enough. You need to actually know what it looks like,” said Haakon Bruaset Kjoel, head of investment management Malaysia at Telenor Asia Pte Ltd.

Despite privacy and security concerns, 83% of Malaysians stated that mobile use has increased productivity in the workplace, with three in four indicating they are supportive of using generative artificial intelligence (AI) at work. “It is in a way good news because it shows a very positive strength and attitude towards using [emerging] technologies,” said Kjoel.

As new technologies emerge, it is important to highlight various aspects of new technologies such as risks and opportunities. This allows consumers to not only protect themselves against potential threats but also formulate ways to use these technologies sustainably.

“People are actually very attuned to the fact that they are giving out their data. They are paying attention to how the treatment of data is within the organisation and it relates back to trust in how data is being managed in a company,” said Kulani Geeta Kulasingam, head of privacy at CelcomDigi.

The importance of transparency in data practices is critical in helping consumers understand the guardrails around data security and privacy when informed decisions are made on how their data should be treated. Cybersecurity is a collaborative effort of the government, the private sector and even individuals as the industry continues to solve issues related to data privacy and security. — By Grace Yap Ern Hui

Luxembourg-based satellite telecommunications network provider Société Européenne des Satellites (SES) launched its fifth and sixth satellites on Nov 12, providing high-performance connectivity services around the globe. Malaysia, alongside the Philippines and Indonesia, is among the countries in Southeast Asia that will benefit from this launch.

The two O3b mPOWER satellites signify the completion of SES’ six medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellites required for its offer of high-performance network services, which the company says will deliver high throughput, predictable low latency, unique flexibility and service availability.

The focus on Malaysia is due to SES’ active collaboration with customers and partners in the country since the commencement of its operations in Asia-Pacific. With the launch of the satellites, SES aims to address the rising demand for network capacity in the country by early 2Q2024.

Despite the global macroeconomic headwinds, Southeast Asia’s gross merchandise value (GMV) is set to reach US$218 billion, growing 11% year on year, according to the eighth edition of the e-Conomy SEA report, titled “Reaching new heights: Navigating the path to profitable growth”, by Google, Temasek and Bain & Co.

“Malaysia’s GMV is projected to reach between US$45 billion and US$70 billion by 2030 and we have seen how the resurgence of tourism along with Malaysian consumers’ sticky digital behaviours in e-commerce and food delivery can contribute to this economic growth,” Samuele Saini, country director of Google Malaysia, said in the report.

“With Malaysia making good progress in bridging connectivity gaps, addressing the digital participation beyond metro areas could prove to be key in unlocking the next wave of growth.”

Willy Chang, partner at Bain & Co, said it is remarkable that both Southeast Asia’s digital economy GMV and revenue have continued their growth momentum, with revenue crossing the US$100 billion mark in 2023.

The report showed that digital businesses in Southeast Asia have successfully monetised the digital economy, moving from user acquisition to deepening engagement with existing customers.

Malaysia’s travel recovery drove the digital economy to US$23 billion this year, while e-commerce acceleration is expected to reach about US$30 billion by 2025.

Online travel is the main driver of Malaysia’s digital economy in 2023, reaching US$4 billion. Outbound travel demand remains elevated, providing support for continued recovery and near-term growth in the digital travel industry.

Malaysia has the fastest-growing transport and food delivery sector in Southeast Asia. The sector grew 16%, boosted by local commuters’ return to offline activities and the continued preference for food delivery.

E-commerce growth is flattening after rising 4% between 2021 and 2022 from pandemic-driven growth, but it remains Malaysia’s biggest digital economy segment at US$13 billion, accounting for 57% of the total GMV. E-commerce is seeing a high adoption rate in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. However, there is a persistent gap between demand and supply in other areas of Malaysia.

Growth in digital financial services adoption, with QR code and other forms of digital payment becoming ubiquitous, has been boosted by the government’s support for digital payment adoption. This has made Malaysia the second-biggest digital payment market in Southeast Asia.

NTT DATA has created solutions for Copilot for Microsoft 365, an artificial intelligence-powered productivity tool. Collaborating with Microsoft, it aims to enhance business experiences for customers and employees by transforming how organisations use AI.

Recognised by Microsoft as a trusted adviser and solution partner, NTT DATA will help businesses automate tasks, strengthen productivity and reduce costs by leveraging deep learning and large language models (LLM).

NTT DATA has created ways to help organisations experience the full potential of everyday AI to enhance collaboration, elevate the employee experience and maximise productivity in the workplace through its three-week advisory workshop, cloud voice readiness workshop and employee experience (EX) support services for Copilot in Microsoft Teams.

These workshops and support services aim to help enterprises understand the potential of generative AI in the digital workplace, evaluate their preparedness and maturity state for Copilot for Microsoft 365, and recommend how they can unlock employee productivity with integration into Microsoft Office’s existing productivity suite.

airasia MOVE (formerly known as airasia Superapp) appointed Nadia Omer as its new CEO on Oct 26. She most recently served as chief business officer of Cars24 Southeast Asia and brings a wealth of experience to steer airasia MOVE to become a regional travel platform. She will work closely with BigPay, led by Zubin Rada Krishnan, to offer seamless access to travel and financial services on a single platform.

Sabrina Cheung is now Manulife Asia’s chief communications officer and will report to Anne Hammer, Manulife’s global chief communications officer, and Phil Witherington, Manulife Asia’s president and CEO. Based in Hong Kong, Cheung will lead strategic communications, incorporating media relations, thought leadership, social media, colleague communications, content and events, supporting Manulife Asia across all the markets in which it operates.

Prior to this, Cheung was chief brand and communications officer at AXA Asia and Africa, where she helped build AXA’s reputation through campaigns, media and partnership outreach, and community investment as a champion of sustainability and employee well-being.

Today’s military is increasingly reliant on highly networked autonomous systems, artificial intelligence and advanced weapons that were previously the domain of science fiction writers. In a world where these complex technologies clash with escalating international tensions, what can we do to decrease the chances of war?

In Future Peace, the eagerly awaited sequel to Future War, Robert H Latiff questions our overreliance on technology and examines the pressure-cooker scenario created by the growing animosity between the US and its adversaries, our globally deployed and thinly stretched military, the capacity for advanced technology to catalyse violence and the American public’s lack of familiarity with these topics.

Future Peace describes the many provocations to violence and how technologies are abetting those urges, and it explores what can be done to mitigate not only dangerous human behaviours but also dangerous technical behaviours.

Latiff concludes that peace is possible but will require intense, cooperative efforts on the part of technologists, military leaders, diplomats, politicians and citizens. Future Peace amplifies some well-known ideas about how to address the issues and provides long-, mid- and short-term recommendations for actions that are necessary to reverse the apparent headlong rush into conflict.

This compelling and timely book will captivate general readers, students and scholars of global affairs, international security, arms control and military ethics. — Amazon

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