Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo and Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) Chief Executive Officer Anuar Fariz Fadzil are spearheading a ‘golden era’ of digital progress for Malaysia, driving unprecedented growth and transformation across the nation’s economy.
CTOS Digital Berhad (CTOS) Chief Operating Officer Lee Shin Mei said both leaders have shown exceptional vision and dedication, playing central roles in strengthening Malaysia’s position as a regional digital leader. She described their leadership as ‘nothing short of transformative’ in helping to shape a dynamic, innovation-driven economy that empowers businesses of all sizes.
“The Digital Economy is growing from strength to strength and is forecast to contribute some 25.5% to GDP by year-end as stated by the minister. This is a remarkable achievement that manifests Malaysia’s emergence as a regional digital powerhouse and a strategic growth engine for the nation,” Shin Mei said.
She was speaking to BusinessToday upon conclusion of the highly successful CTOS SME Biz Day 2025 earlier today in Kuala Lumpur.
The event had attracted a record turnout of over 1,800 participants, including SME owners, government representatives, industry experts and entrepreneurs. The event, meticulously organised by CTOS through its CTOS for Business division, was a clear reflection of the country’s surging confidence in its digital future.
[Main pic – Gobind (centre left), Anuar (centre right) and Shin Mei (right) at the press conference as CTOS Interim GCEO Kevin Loh addresses the media.]
CTOS is the holding company of ASEAN’s leading credit reporting agencies, CTOS in Malaysia and BOL in Thailand. Since its founding in 2014, the Group has evolved into a regional powerhouse in digital credit solutions, transforming credit risk management and advancing Malaysia as a centre of excellence in ASEAN.
“At CTOS, our mission is to empower individuals and businesses to make confident, informed decisions, driving better financial health,” Shin Mei said. “We are thankful to be backed by leaders like Gobind and Anuar, whose support for events like SME Biz Day reflects their commitment to building a thriving, digitally empowered business ecosystem.”
She described Gobind as the industry’s ‘North Star’, a term often used within industry to reflect Gobind’s steady leadership, clear vision and influential role within Malaysia’s thriving digital economy.
“The establishment of the Ministry of Digital, spearheaded by Gobind in late 2023, stands as one of the most strategic and forward-thinking decisions by the Madani Government for Malaysia’s digital future,” said Shin Mei.
“In his first year alone, Gobind led significant milestones in fortifying Malaysia’s digital infrastructure and governance. The enactment of the Cyber Security Act 2024 introduced a comprehensive framework to enhance national cybersecurity, mandating compliance with specific measures, standards and processes to manage threats effectively,” she explained.
“Concurrently, the Personal Data Protection (Amendment) Act 2024 brought Malaysia’s data protection laws closer to international standards. Key amendments include the mandatory appointment of data protection officers, obligatory data breach notifications and the introduction of data portability rights for individuals. Further solidifying Malaysia’s commitment to digital advancement, the National Artificial Intelligence Office (NAIO) was launched in December 2024 to accelerate AI adoption, foster innovation and ensure the ethical development of AI, positioning Malaysia as a regional leader in AI technology and applications.”
“Then, when People’s Republic of China President Xi Jinping visited Malaysia last month, both Gobind and Anuar drove a collaboration understanding with Zhejiang University to further elevate the AI ecosystem based on the Zhejiang model, a renowned digital governance transformation framework,” added Shin Mei.
“The university is widely recognised for nurturing tech talent, enhanced data management, AI security and smart cities, and most notably for helping shape Liang Wenfeng, the founder of DeepSeek.”
On MDEC, Shin Mei said that Anuar has been a driving force since his appointment in October last year, leading the agency with clarity, purpose and a sharp focus on delivering real, measurable outcomes.
She praised his efforts in reshaping MDEC into a more business-centric, agile and investor-friendly organisation, noting that this transformation has already attracted RM16.2 billion in digital investments this year alone. “This is a clear sign of international confidence in Malaysia’s digital ecosystem.”
“Anuar’s leadership goes beyond numbers to enable jobs and opportunities that touch every layer of society,” Shin Mei said. She highlighted his focus on enabling global competitiveness, nurturing homegrown innovation and ensuring no one is left behind.
“Under his leadership, MDEC has strengthened public-private-academic partnerships, launched state-level digital hubs and further championed the Malaysia Digital initiative, all this while providing SMEs with critical access to funding, capacity building and expert guidance.”
Shin Mei added that Anuar’s multinational management style has brought a refreshing, results-driven culture to MDEC, ensuring alignment with industry needs and sharpening the agency’s execution capabilities.
“With Anuar at the helm, we’re seeing not just vision, but action in turning policies into impactful initiatives that are accelerating Malaysia’s rise as a regional digital leader,” she said. “MDEC is now more agile, collaborative and industry-focused, working hand-in-hand with state governments, businesses, academia and civil society to unlock new avenues for innovation and growth.”
Shin Mei noted that under Anuar’s leadership, MDEC has shifted from being seen solely as a regulator to becoming an enabler and catalyst for Malaysia’s fast-evolving digital landscape, ensuring that digital transformation delivers meaningful benefits to businesses of all sizes, across all states.
“MDEC even has ‘the Bill Gates of Malaysia’ as a board member today,” said Shin Mei, referring to tech visionary Ganesh Kumar Bangah, who brings a wealth of entrepreneurial experience and leadership to the table, further strengthening MDEC’s ability to drive innovation, support startups and scale Malaysia’s digital ambitions to new heights.
The CTOS SME Biz Day 2025 ended on a high note, marking a key milestone in empowering Malaysian SMEs to embrace digitalisation, transformation and innovation.
As Malaysia’s largest private credit reporting agency, CTOS, through its CTOS for Business division, continues to be instrumental in supporting SME growth by partnering with government and industry leaders to deliver practical tools, insights and strategies. The event reaffirmed CTOS’s commitment to helping SMEs stay competitive and resilient in a fast-changing landscape.
Following its success in Kuala Lumpur, CTOS SME Biz Day 2025 will continue its nationwide roadshow to Penang, Johor and Kuching in the coming months. With dedicated leaders like Lee Shin Mei, CTOS is set to further strengthen its role in supporting SMEs and advancing Malaysia’s digital economy nationwide, in line with the government’s public-private partnership agenda.
