KUCHING: The Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC), in collaboration with Sarawak Information Systems Sdn Bhd (SAINS) recently held a seminar on the benefits of professional certification, to highlight the growing need for certification in the state government.
The seminar, entitled ‘Get Certified with MSC Malaysia MyProCert’ was held to acquaint attendees with MyProCert and some of the professional certifications that could be obtained under the programme.
Some 170 IT professionals from various government organisations, GLCs, corporations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and academic institutions attended.
SAINS chief operating officer Teo Loon Tong, in his opening remarks, emphasised on the importance of certification.
“As the IT arm of the state government, SAINS had embarked upon a comprehensive certification programme, as certification is an important aspect of meeting the ICT requirements of the state government,” he said.
“Certification is also an important factor in competing in the international market,” he added.
Some certifications that have been obtained by SAINS include CMMI, ISMS and Togaf 9.
MyProCert – Strategic Reform Initiative (SRI) is a partnership between the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu) and MDeC to upgrade Malaysian professionals.
According to senior manager of Talent Division of MDeC Nik Naharudin Mohd Nasir, participants of the programme will enjoy significantly reduced certification fees, as well as receive the SRI incentive which will reimburse companies and individuals an amount equal to the discount given by the training providers.
Participants could see a saving of up to 88 per cent from the usual certification fee.
MDeC also recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Curtin University, Sarawak Malaysia (Curtin Sarawak), the largest international campus of Western Australia’s Curtin University and Agilent Technologies to establish an MSC Malaysia MyProCert Programme Delivery Centre on campus.
This partnership aimed to develop skilled ICT talents in East Malaysia whilst promoting Curtin Sarawak as the centre of excellence supporting the local communities in Miri and Bintulu.
During the seminar, attendees heard from principal assistant director of the ICT Unit of the Chief Minister’s Department Zahrah Abang Othman, in her keynote address, about Sarawak government’s journey towards ‘Electronic Government’ through the EG 10-20 Plan.
The EG 10-20 Plan is a 10-year strategic ICT plan driven by the Sarawak Civil Service’s transformation objectives of pervasive and seamless service, transformational ICT driven service, and model ICT governance.
Some goals of the plan include 90 per cent of SCS public services available through the web, 100 per cent computerisation of core functions in the SCS and an industry standard ICT governance framework for the SCS.
General manager of Stratfos Consulting, a SAINS subsidiary, Chin Koon Siang, which provides planning and architecture development services to Sarawak government, elaborated further on the Sarawak government’s path towards Service Oriented Architecture.
Over the course of the day, attendees also heard from several speakers from various training providers including ADT Solutions, Oracle Corporation Malaysia, ITSM Experts and PMO Asia.
For more information on the MyProCert Programme, visit www.kdi.mscmalaysia.my.