The Penang2030 Vision has won international recognition by being awarded with the Asian Oceanian Computing Industry Organisation (ASOCIO) ICT Awards 2021 in the Digital Government category.
The award giving ceremony was held on Friday, Nov 12, during the ASOCIO Digital Summit 2021, which is held in parallel to the 25th World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) 2021, in Dhaka, Bangladesh from Nov 11-14, 2021. However, we are unable to attend due to the pandemic.
A total of 34 awards were given out that night where for the Digital Government category, Penang State Government is the only award recipient from Malaysia. ASOCIO is the ICT regional federation of 24 member economies in the Asian Oceanian region, covering almost 10,000 companies with annual USD 500 billion in total business.
I am pleased that the Penang2030 Vision got its attention worldwide, as the state has not forgotten its efforts in making digital technology a new way of life, especially during this pandemic. Despite less physical projects taking place last year due to the pandemic, various projects and programmes continue as what being lined out according to the four themes and 16 strategic initiatives in the Penang2030 Vision.
I would to record my upmost appreciation to the Exco members, government departments and agencies as well as the Penang2030 team in executing the plans to make Penang a family-focused green and smart state that inspires the nation.
The submission award was done by The National Tech Association of Malaysia (PIKOM). Among the points highlighted in the submission was the relevance of Penang2030 Vision implementing digital strategies and solutions to significantly improve the service quality to citizens in measurable terms in public services areas. The State Government also strives in applying ICT to providing ethical and transparent government services to enhance integrity and social justice. It also deploys digital services to significantly empower the education, social welfare and public health of citizens, such as the Penang Smart Parking and PenangCare Alliance. Lastly, it deploys well-recognized applications in key smart city areas such as 5G services and fiberisation plan in new housing schemes and buildings.
This award will serve as a motivation for me and the State Government, to build back better as we approach year 2030. Digitalisation is the way forward for us. It is important for us to retain our talents by giving them the equal playing fields and opportunities to shine.
Penang State Government is also honoured to host WCIT again, taking over from Bangladesh, after we hosted it virtually in 2020. During WCIT2020, Penang bagged two Merit Awards for the Covid-19 Tech Solutions for Cities & Localities category, which was won by the Chief Minister Incorporated (CMI) for its “PGCare Penang Contact Tracer”. Meanwhile the Local Government Division of Penang State Secretary won through its “Initiative to reduce contact via Cashless Transaction”. More details will be announced soon on WCIT2022.