Capgemini today announced the opening of its Malaysian Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Center of Excellence (CoE) to support and accelerate customer adoption of Blue Prism’s Robotic Process Automation software.

The two organisations are collaborating to provide training, certification, consulting and support services to local consultants and businesses in the area of RPA solutions. The CoE has already begun training practitioners across different RPA specialties to serve the needs of businesses in Malaysia across a broad spectrum of industries.

Establishing the Capgemini RPA CoE will help businesses to reduce costs, improve compliance, increase productivity, enhance customer satisfaction, gain incremental revenue, and create new revenue and customer experience opportunities.

“Today’s announcement underlines Capgemini’s proven experience in helping businesses realise untapped business value through Robotic Process Automation. This CoE, is one of the largest and most capable of its kind in the Asia Pacific region, supporting businesses looking to leverage RPA. Together, with Blue Prism, we are enabling enterprises to operate smarter, see enhanced relationships and experiences for customers and employees alike, all while driving their innovation to become more competitive,” said Gaurav Modi, Managing Director, Capgemini Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

“Malaysia is a key market for driving RPA adoption and AI development in southeast Asia,” said Gareth Lane, VP of Partnerships for Blue Prism in Asia Pacific. “This centre is part of our broader expansion in the region, which includes opening offices in Singapore and Hong Kong. We are enabling Malaysian customers to take advantage of our Digital Workforce capabilities by helping them increase productivity, improve customer experiences and deliver new services.”

As the first Capgemini RPA CoE in the region, it will focus on supporting Malaysian businesses in the areas of telecommunications, banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI), utilities, logistics, manufacturing, automotive, consumer products and retail.

Local expertise combined with internal research and development efforts by the two organisations will be used to coordinate the availability of the right skills to address the real-world needs of local clients. Coupled with a high level of readiness by the technology team for implementations across the country, these teams will also be prepared to work equally well with businesses who use either on premise or owned technology infrastructure or cloud-based solutions.

Supporting this will be Blue Prism Certified Professionals from the CoE working with businesses in Malaysia to create opportunities across the region empowered by access to the full suite of solutions from Blue Prism such as Blue Prism Digital Exchange (DX) 2.0, Process Discovery Tool, Blue Prism Labs, Blue Prism Community.

Rajesh Kottul, Country Head – Group Sales Officer, SECA & HK, Capgemini Malaysia said the CoE chose Malaysia for its operations as the market here had grown significantly in the last three years for Capgemini together with demand for RPA among Malaysian clients.

 “The country’s graduate resource pool is healthy; with about 200,000 graduates every year in Malaysia. Now, these graduates can get into forward looking technological engagements with the additional skills from CoE as Capgemini has a graduate program that helps onboard these graduates in a structured programme, to train, certify and equip, making them market ready.

 “Armed with world class facilities and access to the right talent pool promises growth market for Capgemini in particular, and RPA in general. We feel that Capgemini Malaysia is at the forefront as the Righshore™ location for serving customers in Singapore, Philippines and Taiwan.”

Meanwhile, Sumit Nurpuri, Chief Operating Officer, SEA & HK, Capgemini said: “We expect to see around 200 people get accredited here in the next 12 months.”

According to Bill Taylor, Vice President for ASEAN & Korea, BluePrism, the team was focused on 5 key markets. Malaysia is a significant market in the ASEAN region (Singapore, Philippines, Thailand, Korea, Malaysia). Horses For Sources (HFS) states that the Malaysian RPA market is expected to grow 68 percent from 2019 – 2020 while Forbes states that the growth of the RPA industry was worth USD846 million in 2018.

Blue Prism’s certification program is the industry’s leading partner certification and assurance program that is independently validated. The program offers more than 10,000 certified resources world-world while setting a benchmark for customer quality and success. This helps to ensure that Blue Prism’s connected-RPA deployments are managed and executed to meet the highest standards including supporting the company’s proprietary Robotic Operating Model (ROM®).

AXA Affin General Insurance Berhad launched AXA SME Challenge at SME Corporation Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday. The event was graced by the presence of Minister of Entrepreneur Development, Datuk Seri Mohd Redzuan Yusof and CEO of SME Corporation Malaysia, Encik Noor Azmi Mat Said.

AXA SME Challenge is a nationwide campaign to provide the 3 most aspirational Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) with the skills, funding and know-how to elevate their business and grow their network.

“We strongly believe that SMEs are an integral part of the country’s economy and we want to play an active role in supporting them throughout their journey. For SME owners, business is personal ─ it is their life and dream in which they have invested substantial time, money and energy. With AXA SME Challenge, we hope to boost SME owners’ self-confidence and self-belief and empower them to take control of the future of their business no matter what happens,” said Emmanuel Nivet, CEO of AXA.

AXA SME Challenge welcomes all Malaysian SMEs to submit their business ideas via www.axasme.com, upon which 10 finalists will be shortlisted to undergo a structured business coaching. Out of the 10 finalists, 3 participants with the best ideas will be selected as winners by a panel of judges. Winners will each receive RM20,000 cash and RM3,000 worth of 1-year AXA Business Advantage Plus (Enhanced) coverage.

In conjunction with the introduction of AXA SME Challenge, AXA had also organised the inaugural AXA SME Forum 2019: Take Control in collaboration with Malaysia SME® Media Group. The event had gathered over 350 SME owners, with a prominent panel of speakers and business leaders from the likes of Datuk Chevy Beh, Founder of BookDoc, Kristine Ng, CEO of Fundaztic and Wayne Lim, Founder of Qu-Exchange to share their invaluable experience and expertise.

During the event, Emmanuel Nivet, CEO of AXA, highlighted to SMEs that having adequate insurance protection is key for a sound and sustainable business operation especially in the face of increasing business risks.

“Due to limited resources, many entrepreneurs regard insurance as “nice to have” and tend to de-prioritise protection ─ at the expense of exposing their business to financial losses arising from untoward incidents such as fire, flood or theft. As an insurance company with Payer-to-Partner vision, we are committed to partner with our customers in mitigating risks through provision of comprehensive and affordable business protection solution,” he added.

AXA offers AXA Business Advantage Plus (Enhanced), a customisable and flexible business protection solution, that is accessible to SMEs of various sizes and sectors. It allows SMEs to personalise insurance coverage tailored to their needs and budget. The product is also designed to provide 20% cash advance payment in 5 workings days to support SMEs in getting back to business faster following an unfortunate event.

These enhancements reinforce AXA’s continuous efforts in putting SMEs in control of their insurance premiums, business operational risks and growth.

For more information on AXA Business Advantage Plus (Enhanced), kindly visit www.axa.com.my.

The series of service enhancements UPS revealed today impact almost 1.4 million postal codes in 41 countries and territories across the Asia Pacific region, enabling worldwide
connectivity for over 22 million businesses.

“At the root of the investments in our Smart Logistics Network is a simple desire to make global commerce easier for Asian businesses—because when they grow, we grow too,” said Ross McCullough, President, UPS Asia Pacific Region.

“More UPS customers in the region will now be able to have their shipments sent and received in less time; they’ll be able to find us easily in more cities and towns, and they’ll be able to send shipments later in the day than before—all of which will open new opportunities for businesses in the region to trade more efficiently with the rest of the world.”

In the first half of 2019, UPS completed the following as part of its strategy to bolster economic development in the region, which is projected to account for 63 percent of global GDP growth in 2019 :

•  Shenzhen Asia Pacific Air Hub upgrades increase the hub’s processing capacity by nearly 50 percent in preparation for volume gains in the coming three years.
• Transit times reduced across 2,300 trade lanes: Intercontinental transit times reduced by up to 4 days, while shipments with destinations in Asia see transit times improved by up to 2 days. Customers shipping from Ipoh to Europe and intra-Asia benefit from shipments arriving 1 day faster.
•  Improved the geographic reach of UPS Worldwide Express ® services, offering international shipping with time-definite deliveries in Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea
• Extended pick-up times by up to five hours for export shipments from China, Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea, widening production windows and giving businesses additional time to fulfil customer orders.
• Strengthened supply chain flexibility with Saturday pick-up services in the US enabling import shipments destined for eight markets in Asia – including Malaysia – to be delivered 1 day earlier than before.

“We’re enthusiastic about the opportunities that global trade brings to customers in Malaysia, and the service expansions provide businesses the opportunity to benefit from enhanced logistics services and greater geographical reach in a market where e-commerce is increasingly a key growth factor across industries” said Lim Tze Hsien, Managing Director of UPS Singapore and Malaysia.

“This past year alone we have increased our retail points in Malaysia by 70 percent to almost 180 across 43 towns in the peninsula to bolster connectivity for businesses and consumers alike, and implemented delivery time enhancements that support rapid transfer of goods to priority markets for time-critical fields such as high-tech manufacturing, and allows businesses to maintain less inventory and engage in just-in-time production to fulfill orders.”

One of the key enhancements bolstering growth across Asia this year, UPS’s Shenzhen Hub in China serves as a transfer point for shipments moving within the region, and the enhancements improve both reliability and quality of service provided to UPS customers in Asia.

About 550 employees maintain round-the-clock operations at the hub, which houses separate sorting and handling facilities for express and cargo shipments, on-site customs office and processing – including China Inspection and Quarantine (CIQ) clearance for import commodities – and a dedicated 150,000 square meter ramp with 13 aircraft parking positions. Self-operated aircraft ground-handling provides UPS, as a logistics integrator, with greater control over the 86 weekly UPS flights in and out from the hub.

UPS has operated in the Asia Pacific region since 1988, and has grown to service 41 countries and territories in the region over the past 30 years. In 2018, the company implemented the largest expansion of the UPS My Choice^® service since its launch, offering users enhanced visibility in 96 new countries and territories, including Malaysia, and flexibility to reschedule deliveries for another day.

In the same year, the UPS Worldwide Express Freight Midday™ service was expanded to 39,000 new postal codes in Europe, increasing the footprint of this guaranteed service by five times. The time-definite service enables Malaysian customers to send palletized shipments over 70 kg to over 35 countries and territories worldwide by 12:00 PM or 2:00 PM.

The Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA) continues to advocate intensively for the profession to adopt and embrace technology at the second MIA AccTech Conference 2019 – Advancing Tech for Next Generation.

MIA CEO Dr. Nurmazilah Dato’ Mahzan, a passionate evangelist for technology transformation and enablement for accountants, sets the tone with – PLENARY 1: MOVING THE NEEDLE ON TECH-ENABLED ACCOUNTING. 

Explaining MIA’s digital milestones, she explains “Our purpose or strategic agenda with digital is to enable the profession, make it more relevant and create higher value by integrating technology across all our stakeholders – both internal and external. By using technology as an enabler, this helps MIA to be more efficient and effective in achieving our overall holistic purpose, which is to regulate and develop the accountancy profession to support nation building.”

Dr. Nurmazilah touches on the fluid technology landscape and impacts on the profession, focusing in particular on how accountants should respond to disruption and threats of job obsolescence. The solution lies in reskilling and acquiring digital wisdom to navigate the digital economy.

Future Skillsets for Tech Accountants – Soft Skills and Data Science Skills
She advises accountants to “take the initiative to change and acquire the skills that enable you to carry out high-value and high-level cognitive non-routine roles.” Most important to enable technology transformation is for accountants to embrace the right mindset and culture, to be curious, resilient and adaptable. “The future skillsets that MIA has identified go beyond numeracy, which is the domain of the profession, to encompass complex problem solving; critical thinking; creativity; people management; coordination, communications and collaboration; emotional intelligence; judgement and decision-making; negotiation; service orientation; and cognitive flexibility,” explains Dr. Nurmazilah.

MIA is embedding these cultural changes and new skillsets in its development programmes and continuing professional education and training to benefit members and the profession at large. Going forward, MIA also proposes a framework of useful data science skills for accountants that aligns with its competency frameworks; this is currently at the exposure draft stage. Specific areas of data expertise and competency for accountants might cover skills such as data exploration; data creation, storage and cleaning; data transformation; data modelling; data governance and strategy; and algorithmic decision making.

Digital Wisdom and Digital Governance
On top of acquiring new skills, accountants need to pivot to digital wisdom (a term first coined by education reformist Marc Prensky) and digital governance. “Digital wisdom is a new wisdom that requires finding the best combination of mind and technology; the wisdom received through a creative use of digital technologies. In other words, digital tools can make us truly wiser and digital wisdom comes from thoughtful use of digital technologies,” she explained. Digital governance here refers to upholding professional ethics and digital ethics to protect the public interest and support overall good governance in the fabric of business and society. By integrating digital wisdom and good governance in its development offerings, MIA hopes to deliver a new paradigm of learning that creates highly competent and ethical tech accountants.

The progressive efforts of the Malaysian Government in uplifting the country’s telecommunications sector have been recognised by the World Bank in its latest report on Malaysia Economic Monitor: Re-energising the Public Service, which was published on 30 June 2019.

One of the articles in the report entitled, “Malaysia’s need for speed: How regulatory action is unleashing ultrafast internet” acknowledges the initiatives undertaken by Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), in support of YB Gobind Singh Deo, Minister of Communications and Multimedia who minted the ‘Double the speed, half the price’ mantra as the guiding principle in providing affordable fixed broadband services with faster Internet connections.

The implementation of Mandatory Standard on Access Pricing (MSAP) by MCMC in October 2018 produced an average of 49 percent reduction in the prices of high-speed broadband services. Prior to the price reduction, prices of entry level packages ranged from RM119 to RM129 for 10Mbps. With MSAP, the prices of entry level packages ranged from RM79 to RM89 for 30Mbps.

 In addition, the number of fixed broadband subscriptions with download speeds of more than 100 Mbps grew by a factor of eight to 1.2 million subscribers in 2018, from 150,000 in 2017.

In terms of accessibility, the World Bank article outlined that Malaysia is well poised in closing the gap between leading countries with respect to internet speed. It is worth to note that Malaysia’s average fixed broadband speed has accelerated more than three-fold in 17 months, from 22.5 Mbps in January 2018 to 68.5 Mbps in May 2019, above the global average of 59.6 Mbps.

Under the National Fiberisation and Connectivity Plan (NFCP), MCMC plans to improve affordability, quality and accessibility of digital connectivity as a pathway for the country to usher the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR 4.0) that brings with it disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, big data, and virtual engineering.

MCMC Chairman Al-Ishsal Ishak said: “The World Bank report is a testament of the effectiveness of initiatives, policies, and actions implemented by MCMC.  As a regulator of the communications and multimedia industry, our aim is to ensure that the standard of connectivity nationwide can unlock added-value to the people as well as catalyse strong and sustainable economic growth for the country.”

For more insights on the World Bank Report, visit: http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/malaysia/publication/malaysia-economic-monitor-reports

The Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) announced today that it will facilitate closer
collaboration between the Malaysian and Chinese capital markets which will mutually
benefit both economies, following a visit to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange (SZSE) on Thursday.

During the discussions, SZSE Chairman Wu Lijun emphasised the strong success of
SZSE in financing innovative Chinese companies and SMEs, including those in the
technology and advanced manufacturing sectors, which are closely aligned to Malaysia’s economic priorities. At the same time, there are already a number of SZSE-listed companies operating in Malaysia under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), creating natural synergies and opportunities for collaboration between both countries’ capital markets.

SC Chairman Datuk Syed Zaid Albar said, “The SC, along with Bursa Malaysia have
had numerous engagements with the SZSE in recent months to discuss initiatives for
greater cross-border connectivity, exchange of technical expertise and human capital
development. We look forward to deepening the ties between Malaysia and China
through this collaboration.”

Following this working visit, SZSE, the SC and Bursa Malaysia will hold further indepth discussions to define and sharpen the value proposition of the collaboration, and work towards implementing these initiatives.

The SC was a member of Malaysia’s Ministry of Finance delegation to China, led by Finance Minister YB Lim Guan Eng. The delegation’s visit to SZSE was received by the stock exchange’s senior officials, led by its Chairman Wu Lijun.

SZSE was established on 1 December 1990 as a self-regulated legal entity under the
supervision of the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC). It is one of two
main stock exchanges in mainland China, with a market capitalisation of USD3 trillion
as at May 2019.

The Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) has noted an increase in the number of queries and complaints from members of the public regarding initial coin offerings
(ICOs) and digital asset exchanges (DAX).

The SC advises the public to be wary of any persons offering ICOs. The SC has not
authorised any ICOs pending the finalisation of its guidelines.

Any offering of digital assets as well as its associated activities such as marketing or
inducing others to subscribe to an ICO will require authorisation from the SC. This follows the coming into force of the Capital Markets and Services (Prescription of Securities) (Digital Currency and Digital Token) Order 2019 (Prescription Order) on 15 January 2019.

The SC would like to remind investors to be mindful of the potential risks associated
with ICO schemes, notably:

(i) an ICO issuer not having a physical presence in Malaysia would make it
difficult to verify the authenticity of the ICO. Further, the recovery of invested
monies may be subject to foreign laws or regulations;
(ii) the involvement of unauthorised individuals heightens the risk and exposure
to fraud, money laundering and terrorism financing;
(iii) the ICO may be structured in such a way as to limit the legal protection and
recourse for the investors against an ICO issuer; and
(iv) cyber-security risks including hacking and stealing of online personal
information.

The SC is also urging investors to be cautious when considering to buy or sell digital
assets through trading platforms. Even though a platform may call itself an
‘exchange,’ it does not mean it has been authorised by the SC.

As of 4th June 2019, the SC has registered three Recognized Market Operators (RMOs)
to establish and operate DAX in Malaysia. These three DAX operators, namely Luno
Malaysia Sdn Bhd, SINEGY Technologies (M) Sdn Bhd, Tokenize Technology (M) Sdn
Bhd, have been given nine months to fully comply with all regulatory requirements.

Apart from the three operators mentioned above, no other online platforms are
permitted to establish and operate a DAX in Malaysia currently. As such, all other
DAX operators are required to immediately cease all activities related to the trading
of digital assets and return all monies and assets collected from investors.

This also applies to operators who were under the SC’s initial transitional period list.

Operating a DAX or launching or marketing an ICO without authorisation from the
SC is an offence under securities laws. Persons in breach may be liable to a fine or
imprisonment term not exceeding ten years or both.

Members of the public may verify if a digital asset operator is registered with the SC
at https://www.sc.com.my/development/digital/digitalasset

RAM Credit Information Sdn Bhd (RAMCI), a leading credit reporting agency, launches its second Credit Health Month (CHM 2019) themed “Run Up Your Score”.

The yearly education and awareness programme empowers Malaysians to step up efforts to guard their credit health and to boost the nation’s financial literacy ranking.

RAMCI’s 2019 Credit Score Profile’s sample based on 4.2 million individuals reveals that 69 percent of Malaysians have good or strong credit scores. Though this is an improvement over last year’s statistics, our financial literacy rate is still below average.

The Agensi Kaunseling dan Pengurusan Kredit (AKPK) had earlier revealed that Malaysia ranked 26th among 30 participating countries in the 2016 Report for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

The launch of CHM 2019 is timely to empower and guide Malaysians to take control of their financial health and make that leap to the next band of rating.

During the launch, Ms. Dawn Lai, CEO of RAMCI says, “We see a positive trend among Malaysians as the public is beginning to understand the importance of managing their financial health. To support this growing awareness, financial education programmes need to be continued. RAMCI introduced July as Malaysia’s inaugural Credit Health Month last year as part of our public awareness programme.”

This year’s edition aims to empower Malaysians to be healthy both physically and financially.

In RAMCI’s 2019 Credit Score Profile, 71 percent of the sample base were aged 44 and below which is the prime age for taking on credit. Based on this statistics,  individual’s credit score profile grew stronger with age. 56 percent of those above 55 years had a strong credit score profile as compared to only 29 percent among those aged 34 & below.

According to RAMCI’s 2019 Survey Sharing, websites are the preferred platform to learn more about financial education, scoring 80 percent ahead of social media and newspapers. 44 percent have the habit of checking their credit report once in 6 months and about 11 percent check every month.

In conjunction with CHM 2019, RAMCI is also running an educational social media campaign to provide Malaysians with credit health information at their fingertips and to boost the financial literacy in Malaysia. Roadshows and talks will also be organised in collaboration with government agencies, financial sectors, private sectors and universities to host roadshows and talks.

“We are optimistic that the Credit Health Month initiative will bolster credit reporting in the country, especially among millennials, to check their credit report and in that process, manage their financials more effectively to reduce debts,” concludes Lai.

Kaspersky, a global cybersecurity company, and INTERPOL have signed a new
five-year agreement to reinforce their collaboration in the fight against
cybercrime around the world. This is the second agreement between the two
parties following the first signed in 2014.

On July 3, Eugene Kaspersky, CEO of Kaspersky, and Tim Morris, Executive Director of Police Service at INTERPOL, signed a contribution agreement under which Kaspersky will provide human resources support, training, and threat intelligence data on the latest cybercriminal activities to INTERPOL, strengthening the organisation’s cyberthreat hunting capabilities.

The signing ceremony took place at INTERPOL World 2019, which is currently underway in Singapore.

This cooperation strengthens the existing relationship between the two organizations, ensuring information and technology sharing can support INTERPOL in cybercrime-related investigations.

Within the new agreement, Kaspersky will share information about its cyberthreat research and provide the necessary tools to assist with full digital forensics, aimed at strengthening efforts on the prevention of cyberattacks.

“With the rise of sophisticated threat actors, collaboration across the ecosystem and the sharing of expertise is more crucial than ever. We are excited to continue the partnership with INTERPOL and to empower law enforcers with the information and technology needed to combat cybercrime across the globe,” said Eugene Kaspersky, CEO of Kaspersky, following the ceremony.

Kaspersky recognises the borderless nature of cybercrime and regularly participates in joint operations and cyberthreat investigations with the global IT security community, international organisations such as INTERPOL, law enforcement agencies and CERTs worldwide.

The first among cybersecurity vendors, the company recently announced an advanced free service for Law Enforcement Agencies, aimed at increasing the awareness of how Kaspersky services operate and how they can help fight cybercrime and sophisticated cyberthreats.

Volvo Cars first half year sales of 340,826 cars in 2019 is up 7.3 percent as compared to 2018. The company sold 317,639 cars in the first six months of 2018.

China, US and Europe all reported a steady growth for the six-month period, with China recording its highest ever first half and June sales volumes. During the period, Volvo grew consistently faster than its premium competitors, thereby gaining market share across these regions.

The first half performance came on the back of continued strong demand for Volvo’s award winning SUV range led by the XC60, followed by the XC40 and the XC90. The company’s latest models, the V60 estate, the V60 Cross Country and the US-built S60 sedan contributed to increased volumes as well. Volvo has also started the first deliveries of its mild hybrid offerings to customers.

In June, Volvo Cars sold 62,775 cars, down 2 percent compared to the same period last year. The decline came from Europe where sales for the month fell 9 percent to 30,234 cars.

As Volvo’s largest market in the region, Sweden reported a 41.7 percent sales decline to 5,762 cars. Sweden sales in the month were lower because of higher than usual delivery of cars in the same month last year owing to the implementation of a new emission tax or the Bonus Malus from the subsequent month.

For the first six months, European sales of the company remained steady with a growth of 6 percent, led by the XC40 and the XC60 SUVs and the new V60 estate. Total sales in the January to June period reached 174,398 cars, with UK and Germany recording a growth of 29.6 percent and 32 percent respectively.

The company reported its highest ever first half year sales in China of 67,741 cars, up 10.2 percent, compared to the same period last year. Strong demand for the locally produced XC60 and the S90 models led the volume growth in the six month period. In June too, Volvo reported its highest sales ever for China in a single month with a total 13,238 cars sold, up 13.3 percent.

Volvo’s US sales reached 50,120 cars in the first half of the year, up 5.2 percent compared to the same period last year. The company’s SUVs led by the XC90, XC60 and the XC40 remained popular in the region, contributing to the volume growth for the period.  In June, US sales reached 9,934 cars, up 0.7 percent.

A detailed regional break-up of sales is given below.

Globally, the XC60 continued to be the top selling model in the first half of the year with sales reaching 97,203 cars (2018: 19,534 units), followed by the XC40, with total sales of 61,864 cars (2018: 23,741 units) and the XC90 with sales of 47,818 cars (2018: 47,658 units)

The Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi, as well as representatives from Tourism Malaysia, personally welcomed passengers aboard the inaugural Air Arabia flight upon arrival at Kuala Lumpur International Airport from Sharjah yesterday.

The direct flight to Kuala Lumpur was a result of the Minister’s official visit to Dubai during the Arabian Travel Mart held in April this year, whereby a joint tactical campaign agreement was signed between Tourism Malaysia, Malaysia Airports and Air Arabia.

This marks a very important initiative to boost travel and tourism between Malaysia and West Asia countries as Air Arabia, the Middle East and North Africa’s first and largest low-cost carrier will help enhance more tourism traffic from Sharjah, as well as from Iraq, Egypt and other Gulf Cooperation Council markets.

The direct flight, which started from July 1, operates with the brand new Airbus A321 Long Range aircraft. The seven-hour flight flies daily with a capacity of 215 passengers on each flight.

Tourism Malaysia seeks to attract more West Asian tourists to its shores to achieve its tourism target for 2019. The tourist arrivals from West Asia have rebounded to Malaysia by 25.3 percent in 2018 from 251,937 to 315,937 led by the growth of Oman (+36.9 percent), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (11.6 percent) and United Arab Emirates (9.7 percent). Last year, Malaysia recorded RM3.1 billion in tourist receipts from West Asia, a growth of 32.9 percent as compared to the previous year. As of March 2019, tourist arrivals from West Asia countries to Malaysia registered a total of 65,202.

Maybank in collaboration with Visa Malaysia launches latest mobile payment app for merchants, Tap2Phone, at Menara Maybank.

Tap2Phone is an innovative fintech payment solution catered to small businesses, as well as delivery and sales agents. This new service, which is the first in Southeast Asia – enables them to accept card payments from customers by using the app on their mobile phones without the need for a point-of-sale (POS) terminal.

Tap2Phone is supported by the latest Android-based smartphones which are equipped with Near-Field Communication (NFC) and Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) technologies, to facilitate credit, debit and prepaid card payments.

Maybank’s Head, Community Financial Services Malaysia, Datuk Hamirullah Boorhan says, “We believe that simplicity is a crucial feature when transacting. The Tap2Phone service provides just that, by allowing merchants to provide seamless and instantaneous payment options for their customers through a secure and easy-to-use mobile payment technology.”

“We believe this new service will help increase the use of cashless payments technology by businesses which would further lower the infrastructure cost for merchants and support the growing demand of electronic payments in the country. For Tap2Phone, we target to enable over 10,000 device acceptance points within the next 12 months.”

Meanwhile, Visa Country Manager for Malaysia Ng Kong Boon says, “We are extremely excited to partner with Maybank in this roll-out because we see huge opportunities for cash displacement amongst small businesses and merchants. SMEs contribute almost 40 percent of Malaysia’s Gross Domestic Expenditure (GDP) and business transactions today are still mostly on cash.”

“Contactless transactions in Malaysia are becoming increasingly popular, with four out of ten Visa transactions being contactless. Given Malaysians are extremely familiar with using contactless payments, we believe both merchants and consumers will adopt this low cost and simple solution. This will help accelerate the speed and efficiency of digital payments acceptance in the country and promote Malaysia to be a more cashless country, which is aligned with Bank Negara Malaysia’s vision,” adds Kong Boon.