Salwana Ali's Speech at the DGX Launch

Yang Berbahagia Tuan Haji Abdul Rafie Mahat, Ketua Pengarah Pendidikan Malaysia, Yang Berusaha Encik Steven Poh, Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif i2Media Sdn Bhd, wakil-wakil media, tuan-tuan dan puan-puan serta para hadirin yang saya hormati sekalian.

Selamat Pagi!

Most of you would have heard the saying that the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. This morning, Microsoft Knowledge Capital Center in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and i2Media, is making that first step.

So for the next few minutes, allow me to describe that journey to you – where we intend to go and how we will reach there.

The global economy of the 21st Century is fast becoming a knowledge-based economy (you have probably heard it a zillion times in the last few years) where the value of organisations is evolving from physical to intangible assets such as intellectual capital.

We are also told over and over again, that wealth creation and jobs in the emerging digital marketplace will come from industries with a high knowledge, research and information content. Even traditional brick-and mortar businesses and public sector organisations will need to increase the knowledge content of their products, services and processes, if they wish to succeed. This rapid change has intensified dramatically as a result of the Internet such that we now take for granted the concepts of a borderless world and information society. An “information society” is where information is valued and has an impact in every segment of society. An information society is, and will continue to become ever more interconnected, interactive, instantaneous, information rich, informal, affordable and uncertain.

Organisations in this changing environment must, therefore, intimately understand that knowledge is of tactical value to their businesses and activities and set about designing and encouraging an environment where it can flourish. However, b uilding knowledge requires a set of processes and supporting technologies that extend beyond organisational barriers and a culture that embraces and reinforces sharing, teamwork and innovation.

It is with this in mind that Microsoft Knowledge Capital Center, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and i2Media, is bringing you the Developers’ Generation-X (DGX) Developer Code Competition 2001. I believe this nationwide contest is the first step towards the nation’s effort to leapfrog into the Information Age and can contribute significantly to creating the next generation of Malaysians who will be actively involved in innovative endeavours in the area of software development as well as multimedia research and development (R&D).

The reason: the ability of Malaysia to meaningfully compete in the global market of the third millennium now rests not its land banks, cities, natural resources, buildings, machinery and equipment, but on the individual and collective skills of its human resources or workforce as well as its ability to capitalise on the unique potential of each of its citizens. This combination of people-centred assets, together with the systems the country has built through knowledge, experience, the relationships it has developed internally and externally and any intellectual property it owns, is the KNOWLEDGE CAPITAL of the nation.

The successful management of this knowledge capital will result in the achievement of its national objectives. As you will see, DGX’s Developer Code Competition 2001 has been strategically designed to tap into the “human capital” of its participants. It will penetrate into its participants’ sphere of intelligence to generate ideas and transform these ideas into innovations. The contest’s sole aim is to facilitate a platform of healthy competition amongst Malaysia’s brightest and best minds in search of the country’s next most innovative developer. It is also the intention of Microsoft Knowledge Capital Center to identify Malaysian prodigies through DGX’s Developer Code Competition and showcase the work of these budding developers.

At MKCC, we consider this to be top on our list of priorities – to not only create the awareness of the importance of homegrown software development and production of multimedia products in Malaysia but also to shape the environment where the awareness will translate into real initiatives to fuel Malaysia’s emerging knowledge-based economy. The competition is designed to enhance knowledge growth through systematic use of technology to create ground-breaking applications. This is in line with the Government’s hope of eventually seeing Malaysians developing and producing killer applications instead of just being consumers of these products.

As such DGX’s Developer Code Competition contestants are encouraged to participate not just by way of signing up for the competition but also by way of actively participating in the DGX electronic community in www.dgx.com.my to generate and contribute more ideas. Participation in the DGX e-community is especially crucial because it serves as a platform for the free flow exchange of ideas and creates an environment where there is mutual support and understanding, continuous learning, new knowledge, skills and competencies amongst developers. The DGX e-community aims to be the de facto Web community for all Malaysian developers.

We will be working very hard in the months leading up to September 4 where the winners of the DGX Developer Code Competition 2001 will be announced and are very excited about the prospects of uncovering some of the best young minds in the country.

At MKCC, we are extremely gratified by the tremendous support the Ministry of Education has given to the project and we certainly look forward to working closely together to ensure the success of DGX’s Developer Code Competition 2001.

Thank you.