TechCentral: Story: "Revisiting R&D focus in 9th Malaysia Plan
By ZAM KARIM

KUALA LUMPUR: The Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry will submit its proposal for the Ninth Malaysia Plan to the Government by the end of February. 

The gist of the proposal would be on 'revisiting' the nation's R&D focus, said its minister Datuk Seri Dr Jamaluddin Mohd Jarjis. 

The ministry is currently in the final stages of drafting its proposal, and is analysing feedback gathered from various industries, including the focus industries: The information technology and biotechnology sectors. 

Jamaluddin said he and his ministry's officials had also visited countries such as Norway, Ireland and India to learn from these countries’ experiences, “so that what we offer investors will be comparable with (what these countries offer).” 

This would lead to the creation of more jobs for Malaysians, and bring more income to the country, he told In.Tech this morning after officially opening HP Malaysia's new headquarters, HP Towers (formerly Wisma Semantan), here. 

Jamaluddin also reiterated the Government's intention to work closely with companies such as Hewlett-Packard to help bridge the digital divide. 

The Government is 're-tuning' its focus from the “One Home, One PC” concept to the “One Home, One PC and One Internet Access” idea. 

“What people failed to see is that the PC and Internet access are two different things,” he said. 

It is important to give people access to the Internet so that they will able to benefit from the World Wide Web's vast resources, he added. 

The Government wants to reduce the cost of an entry-level computing system to half the current RM1,000 price tag. 

'RM500 would be in line with the country's current poverty level,' Jamaluddin said. 

One solution would be to get communities to set up and manage wireless Internet-enabled servers at their community centres; households can then connect wirelessly to the server with low-cost thin clients, or stripped-down PCs that would be 'fed' applications and software from the server. 

The Government wants companies such as HP to work with its agencies such as Mimos Bhd and Multimedia Development Corporation (MDC), Jamaluddin said. 

Sources closed to HP said that the company began talks with MDC immediately after the launch ceremony in which Jamaluddin officiated this morning. 

 

Corporate conscience 

HP Malaysia's Hq was officially opened without the usual fanfare. 

To do its bit for the victims of the Asian Tsunami disaster, the company did not spend lavishly on the HP Towers launch and instead donated the event's initial budget -- plus more from an internal donation drive -- to the Malaysian Red Crescent Society and Mercy Malaysia, via The Star Earthquake/ Tsunami Relief Fund. 

The internal donation drive garnered RM350,000, with HP Malaysia matching contributions ringgit-for-ringgit, topping it off with an additional RM150,000. 

“How can we celebrate with the knowledge that so many out there are in dire need,” said T.F. Chong, HP Malaysia's managing director. 

“It touched me deeply when HP Malaysia employees themselves suggested that we forego our planned event to aid the tsunami survivors,” he added. 

At the regional and global levels, Hewlett-Packard Co has already committed up to US$3mil (RM11.4mil) through direct corporate contributions as well as employee-matching funds. 

However, HP's involvement does not end there. Chong said that the company was also working with the Government to come up with alternative ways to disseminate tsunami-related warnings to the public, but decline to give more information at the moment."