Following the Movement Control Order (MCO) 2020 which came into effect on 18th March 2020, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) calls Malaysians to turn to e-Learning platforms and digital alternatives as a way to overcome the challenges during these unprecedented times.

Malaysians, especially parents who have to work-from-home (WFH) can take this opportunity to ensure their children are aptly engaged in positive and mentally nourishing content and activities by introducing suitable e-learning platforms for them to explore and gain knowledge in new ways.

”MDEC views that the Covid-19 pandemic will have a long-term impact on the behavior and attitude towards digital in Malaysia, including the way education is delivered in the country,” said Surina Shukri, CEO of MDEC.

“Therefore, MDEC is very much focused on three pillars this year – digitally-skilled manpower, digitally-powered businesses and digital investments. The first pillar is very important for Malaysia to generally overcome any unexpected socio-economic challenges and position our country and economy as the heart of Digital ASEAN. I would like to emphasise that MDEC will play our part to assist the Government’s efforts and enable Malaysians to continue learning and become digitally-skilled at the same time. This is the time for #DigitalvsCovid!

According to the Ministry of Education (MOE), Malaysia has 2,436 secondary schools and 7,772 primary schools (Data EMIS 31 Jan 2019).

”The MCO has forced a re-think of traditional approaches and innovative content delivery solutions by both the Malaysian education system and parents. The temporary closure of all schools, tertiary institutions, public and private educational institutions has exposed the importance of digital technologies in people’s lives and the positive impact it can make. Infrastructure and internet access is key towards making this happen faster. ”

Surina added that the Premier Digital Tech Institutions (PDTI) and colleges are also looking at new ways to develop online delivery service and digital content to meet the needs of their students and clients.

The PDTIs are Malaysia’s leading digital tech-focused tertiary institutions with a proven track record of producing high-quality graduates for digital tech-based high-value jobs, via cutting-edge research and education policies, strong industry linkages, and career development and placement services.