What is DNA23?
DIGITAL NATIVE AGENDA
05
The 3:9
Vibrant socio-economic future
There is always a need to stimulate economic growth equitably and to create jobs. In the digital sector, Malaysia has to be an attractive destination for Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs). A plan to fast-track FDI’s of future industries to strengthen the digital economy is imperative. A plan to improve the investment climate of Malaysia will provide relevant incentives, attract the right international talent, develop world class infrastructure and enact policies that are less constraining for local entities.
Fair distribution of opportunities
The impact of the internet is felt across many aspects of our lives, leading to profound economic and social changes. However if not addressed adequately, a digital divide may lead to many communities being left behind. The first step in achieving internet equality is to recognise broadband as a core utility and provide accessibility to those in poorly-connected areas. With good internet access, we will be able to organise programmes to improve digital literacy with the aim of embedding the usage of internet as a tool to improve their lives.
Positive country perception
Digital technology has played an important role in demonstrating a positive country perception in many parts of the world; However, more work has to be done in Malaysia to demonstrate leadership, purpose, delivery coordination and effective communication on a national, regional and global stage.
CAPACITY BUILDING
It is critical that we remain efficient and effective in an era of evolving technology in high-end manufacturing and industrialisation. Malaysia must advance the investment climate in order to be branded as the forefront of digital R&D in ASEAN and attract R&D-intensive FDIs. Incentivising local R&D would not only help bring revolutionary technology to Malaysia but also encourage local SMEs to invest in R&D which is a key strategic development factor to operating worldwide.
HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT
Equipping the Rakyat with relevant skills is essential to meeting the challenges of Industry 4.0. Our education policies should focus on developing critical thinking across all subjects. Computational thinking, the ethics of online interaction, an awareness of the opportunities and dangers made available on the internet should all be taught and debated in schools.
TRANSPARENT GOVERNANCE
The government has established many reformation initiatives – but it is time to futureproof these initiatives by adopting technology to ensure that corruption is minimised in the future. To strengthen the public’s trust, valuable information and government data must be shared through a common open-data platform.
RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL RIGHTS
To become a country of ethics and culture, Malaysia must begin to model appropriate behaviour for resolving issues and promote mutual respect across individuals from diverse cultural, linguistic and religious background.
UNITY AND HARMONY
Digital technology allows the creation of platforms that serve as new intermediaries between groups of people who may appear to be different at first glance, but share many commonalities. Trade has always brought people together, and there is no reason why this cannot be continued in the digital space. Such platforms also allow for greater exchange of information and understanding, of greater insight and collaboration.
FACT-BASED DIALOGUES
Digital technology can serve as a channel for citizen engagement through e-democracy and crowdsourcing. Obtaining insight into what the rakyat want and need will inform policy, and allow alterations to be made if necessary. Having an e-democracy and crowdsourcing platform should allow a more collaborative approach between ministers and the rakyat to improve the quality and effectiveness of the resulting laws and policies.