APRICOT 2004

PIKOM, the Association of the Computer and Multimedia Industry, Malaysia is the trade association representing the information and communications technology (ICT) industry in Malaysia. Its membership currently stands at 407, comprising companies involved in a whole spectrum of ICT products and services. These companies in turn commands 80 per cent of the total ICT trade in Malaysia. PIKOM works to improve the business climate in the interests of all its member companies and to promote industry growth in line with national aspirations.

Suppliers of equipment in computing and telecommunications
Software developers and suppliers
Providers of professional and educational ICT services
Network operators
Suppliers of value added services in ICT

By facilitating Malaysia's business growth and competitiveness through application of information technology, PIKOM is positioned to be the voice of the Malaysian ICT industry.

Ministry of Energy, Communication and Multimedia Malaysia

The Ministry of Energy, Communications and Multimedia (MECM), was established on November 1, 1998 through a restructuring of the Ministry of Energy, Telecommunications and Posts.

MECM was formed with the intention of forming a single, integrated Ministry to develop the communications and multimedia industry based on the concept of convergence of the telecommunications, broadcasting and computing services.

Convergence, which is made possible by the vast potential of digital technologies, requires new policy, regulatory and legislative frameworks as well as new institutional arrangements to manage and enable the development of new industry and market structures for communications and multimedia.

The restructuring of the Ministry also involved the setting up of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (CMC) effective from November 1, 1998. The CMC operates as the single and sole regulatory authority for all the communications and multimedia industry. With the setting up of the Commission, the Department of Telecommunications ceased operation.

Within the Energy Sector, the Department of Electricity & Gas Supply was dissolved and replaced by the Energy Commission, a corporate body, to regulate energy supply activities in Malaysia and to enforce the energy supply laws.

The role of the Ministry has shifted from being a service provider to a policy formulator and service regulator for the Energy, Communications and Multimedia sectors.

The Ministry's main thrust is therefore to facilitate and regulate the growth of industries in these sectors to ensure the availability of high quality, efficient and safe services at a reasonable price to consumers throughout the country. The regulatory function of the Ministry is undertaken through its regulatory bodies, namely, the Energy Commission and the Communications and Multimedia Commission.

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission is the regulator for the converging communications and multimedia industry. At the time it was created its key role was the regulation of the communications and multimedia industry based on the powers provided for in the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission Act (1998) and the Communications and Multimedia Act (1998). Pursuant to these Acts the role of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission is to implement and promote the Government's national policy objectives for the communications and multimedia sector. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission is also charged with overseeing the new regulatory framework for the converging industries of telecommunications, broadcasting and on-line activities.

Economic regulation, which includes the promotion of competition and prohibition of anti-competitive conduct, as well as the development and enforcement of access codes and standards. It also includes licensing, enforcement of license conditions for network and application providers and ensuring compliance to rules and performance/service quality.

Technical regulation, includes efficient frequency spectrum assignment, the development and enforcement of technical codes and standards, and the administration of numbering and electronic addressing.

Consumer protection, which emphasises the empowerment of consumers while at the same time ensures adequate protection measures in areas such as dispute resolution, affordability of services and service availability.

Social regulation which includes the twin areas of content development as well as content regulation; the latter includes the prohibition of offensive content as well as public education on content-related issues.

On 1 November 2001, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission also took over regulation of the Postal Industry and was appointed the Certifying Agency pursuant to the Digital Signature Act (1997).

Association of the Computer and Multimedia Industry of Malaysia

Ministry of Energy, Communication and Multimedia Malaysia