MSC Malaysia APICTA Awards Reach New Heights with Collaboration of MDeC and PIKOM

PETALING JAYA – PIKOM, the National ICT Association of Malaysia, and Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) today announced that the two parties have joined forces to co-organise the annual MSC Malaysia Asia Pacific Information and Communications Technology Alliance (APICTA) Awards event.

This follows a series of discussions between them in an initiative to rationalize the national-level ICT award programmes independently-run by the two parties. PIKOM runs the PIKOM National ICT Awards while MDeC organises the MSC Malaysia APICTA Awards.

Under the rationalization move, PIKOM ceases to give out awards in all categories that overlap with those of MSC Malaysia APICTA Awards. Effectively, this covers all product categories. PIKOM will continue to run the PIKOM National ICT Awards in the individual and organizational categories.

The 9th Annual MSC Malaysia APICTA Awards marks the highest number of nominees with 359 this year, an increase of 37 from the previous 321 nominees received in the year 2007.

Similarly this year’s Awards will introduce a new category, the “Best of e-Inclusion and e-Community”, while reinitiating the “Best of e-Health” category. This then brings the total number of categories at this year’s Awards to 19, inclusive of the Prime Minister’s “Best of the Best” Award.

PIKOM President CJ Ang describes the development as the coming together of the two major stakeholders in Malaysia’s ICT awards events. PIKOM has been organizing the PIKOM-Computimes IT Awards since 1989. The awards was subsequently renamed PIKOM National ICT Awards in 2005. MDeC, meanwhile, has been organizing the MSC Malaysia APICTA Awards since 1999.

“Going forward, PIKOM will work together with MDeC to ensure the awards programme grows into a much coveted recognition similar to the Oscar. This will help position Malaysian for the global markets. Our solutions are on par with the bests in the world,” says Ang.

Dato’ Badlisham Ghazali, Chief Executive Officer of MDeC, said “We are more than delighted to have PIKOM onboard with us in organizing the annual MSC Malaysia APICTA Awards. I believe our joint efforts will go a long way in extending mutual benefits to the people, businesses, and the Government through an expansion and boost to the local ICT industry.”

He also further added that, “The MSC Malaysia APICTA Awards has always been exemplary of the collaborative efforts between the public and private sectors; MSC Malaysia APICTA Awards this year onwards will undoubtedly enhance the overall contribution of which the Awards have towards the progress of the local ICT industry.”
This year’s MSC Malaysia APICTA Awards is themed “Stimulating Creativity & Excellence in ICT”, which mirrors the elements which various MSC Malaysia initiatives seek to enhance as an effort to spur the development of the Malaysian ICT industry as well as the overall Malaysian economy.