- 7 hours ago
Malaysia’s government services are increasingly moving onto our phones — from MyJPJ and digital road tax to banking, payments and digital identity systems. But, what happens when the phone itself becomes the barrier?
A growing number of Malaysians may technically own smartphones, yet still struggle with outdated devices, weak batteries, limited storage, or apps that no longer run properly. In a digital-first economy, this is a severe accessibility issue.
On NIAGA SPOTLIGHT, Tehmina Kaoosji speaks to George Hashim, Chief Strategy Officer of CompAsia, on the hardware divide shaping Malaysia’s digital future, why physical retail still matters for underserved communities, and why addressing digitalisation risks ensure no Rakyat are left behind.
A growing number of Malaysians may technically own smartphones, yet still struggle with outdated devices, weak batteries, limited storage, or apps that no longer run properly. In a digital-first economy, this is a severe accessibility issue.
On NIAGA SPOTLIGHT, Tehmina Kaoosji speaks to George Hashim, Chief Strategy Officer of CompAsia, on the hardware divide shaping Malaysia’s digital future, why physical retail still matters for underserved communities, and why addressing digitalisation risks ensure no Rakyat are left behind.
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NewsTranscript
00:02Hello and welcome to Nianga Spotlight with me Tamina Koushi. Nianga Spotlight takes us through
00:06the week in economic analysis and future affairs. Now today on future affairs, our spotlight is on
00:13digital inclusion and accessibility. Malaysia's digital economy contributed nearly a quarter of
00:20national GDP last year and more government services are now moving directly into our phones
00:25from road tax renewals to digital identity systems. But there's a growing question in all of this,
00:32what happens when the phone itself could be a barrier? So a smartphone may be common but not
00:39every device can support secure apps, biometric logins, etc. So today on Nianga Spotlight, we look
00:47at the hardware divide which might be shaping digital inclusion and accessibility in Malaysia.
00:52Joining me is George Hashim, Chief Strategy Officer of CompAsia for this very interesting
00:58discussion. A very good morning to you, George. Thank you very much for having me today.
01:03Fantastic. It's a great honor to be here. Absolutely. So I think we've got so much to talk about,
01:07particularly as we're super hyper-digitalizing when it comes to a lot of government services,
01:13particularly this year. So Q2, 2026, perfect time to talk about it. So most of our government
01:19services now, George, they basically, they fit in our pockets, they fit in our phones. Let's bring
01:24in CompAsia's perspective. So there's a little bit of what you've been seeing happening on the ground.
01:29Yeah, I think the government's done an amazing job of providing those services more accessible to
01:35the country. But you're right, the technology, the device itself to support all of this, plus the future
01:42advanced apps and service solutions that will come our way in the future, especially with AI, right?
01:49There's a lot of devices that are still being used by our population that cannot support these amazing
01:55accessible services that are being provided today and for the future, primarily to the limitation of
02:01the RAM size, their memory space, predominantly in the 4G space, the spring devices, where we're already
02:09on 5G today. So we want to get more of the more capable devices in the hands of users as
02:18best and
02:19responsible as we can in the future or even now today. And that's where, you know, CompAsia is doing
02:25their best play a key part in that by providing affordability, accessibility, and so on and so
02:32forth to the community to get access to better quality devices that can support these type of
02:39new services that are available today.
02:41Exactly. So when we talk about device readiness from the perspective of a re-loved or pre-loved
02:49seller of all these digital and accessibility devices, what does that entail?
02:55Well, okay, so that's where CompAsia really plays a key role. We only focus on pre-loved
03:02devices. We do not, we're not involved with new devices, but we support the industry in the new
03:07device segment, you know, like the key manufacturers of the Android brands, the app, you know, the iPhone
03:13brands and so forth, right? But we play a key part in the pre-loved space where people can bring
03:21in
03:21their older models and then we can monetize that for them through our trade-in programs available in our
03:28stores and our partner stores. And then they can use that monetization as a saving against the upgrade
03:34experience that they're going to purchase the new device. So saving them money on that front.
03:38Exactly.
03:38Those devices come to CompAsia. And what we do is that we, we repurpose them, get them into a good
03:43condition, and then we, we commerce them back out to, to customers in the country through, through our
03:51online and our offline retail stores across the country.
03:54Exactly. So this is also a very interesting niche, George, that perhaps you could help elaborate a little
03:59bit more because it's also something which has occurred just as Malaysia's digital divide has been closing
04:05in terms of internet accessibility. So we've got pretty fantastic coverage, close to 100%
04:11nationwide, but of course it varies between 3G, 4G, 5G and above. So that is where the niche is for
04:19device quality to actually be upgraded, right?
04:22No, absolutely. So, you know, of course, when we talk about pre-owned devices, quality is really
04:27an important factor, right? Having the customers trust. So when we work with, when you operate through,
04:34you know, companies such as ourselves, we ensure that we put all these devices through a very
04:39stringent process. First thing we do is that we data wipe, industrial data wipe the devices. So the
04:45previous owner is, can we have peace of mind that...
04:48Yes, completely secure and the knowledge that it's black.
04:51Completely secure, yeah.
04:52Yeah.
04:52Then we put them through a grading process and the, and then we, we purpose them and then we put
04:57them,
04:57they're like brand new. We, we replace the batteries to get 100% battery health and so on and so
05:03forth.
05:03So the, the product that you get from us, even though pre-owned is a trustworthy, amazing product
05:10with warranty as well that we provide to give them more peace of mind.
05:14Yeah.
05:15And that means that's really important because pre-owned in the market historically has not
05:20something been trusted. So, you know, we have our, our, we call our, uh, uh, initiative,
05:29to make sure that if you get a product from us, it's going to be a top quality trusted product
05:35for, for the public.
05:36Mm. So, um, honing in a little bit more on that trust angle, right? Um, of course the,
05:42um, opportunity comes up to look a lot deeper at, um, the fact that anyone using a smartphone
05:49today is most likely primarily using it for digital or online transactions. So that involves lots of
05:55sophisticated processes, including your biometric logins, your constant app updates, et cetera.
06:01So, um, what would be the, um, you know, uh, unique selling point or the angle to have, uh, pre
06:08-owned
06:09or pre-loved devices that have been absolutely brought up to speed rather than, um, buying, um, random
06:16secondhand?
06:17Correct. Okay. So, uh, as part of our, uh, our processes, we also include education and communication
06:23and, and explanation, right? When we have a product, it needs to support all the recent
06:28applications. It needs to be 5G enabled already, right? And it needs to be at least more than
06:338 RAM, uh, to support all these, uh, app updates and so on and so forth. And it needs to
06:40even
06:40support AI enabled updates because a lot of these older models, like these older 4G phones
06:47under 4 RAM, under 6, 4 GB and memory. Right. Don't have access, effective access to that
06:53yet. Sure. You may have a touch screen, but it doesn't mean that it's efficient, right?
06:57Yeah, exactly. And you won't have, you won't have that AI chat bot as your assistant and
07:01that provides you instant access to any level of information that you require for your knowledge,
07:07right? To support you in your knowledge, uh, won't be accessible through these older model
07:11devices. So, but going to buy a new device that can support that, it's an expected, uh, expensive
07:19investment. Exactly. Which brings me to the question about, um, what has CompAsia been able to observe
07:24via your work, not just in Malaysia, but across a couple of other Southeast Asian countries as well.
07:30So when it comes to, in particular, lower income households, uh, what, uh, problem solving is occurring
07:37here when they are able to access affordable enough pre-loved devices. Yeah. Well, that's, that's,
07:43that's where we, uh, where we cover that gap. We fill in that void, right? We give that option to
07:48customers, uh, especially the ones that aspire for a really good device, but it's just out of their
07:54price range. When they come to CompAsia, we, we, we are able to fit that price range either at a
08:00lower
08:01affordable, uh, affordable price. Right. But also with our, what we call our new, uh, renew and go
08:0736 month flexible payment plan. Ah, I see. That's even better at a low monthly fee for customers to
08:12acquire, uh, a more advanced device to meet their needs, right? Uh, and their aspirations. Yeah. So
08:19it's a step by step actually. Correct. Yeah. So rather than lower income houses being put in a difficult
08:24position because of course government services, um, public services have gone almost, um, completely
08:30digitalized. So then they do have the burden of ensuring that their devices are up to speed.
08:36Yeah. And it supports all the latest security features, um, can support AI. That's the main
08:42thing today that we need. Yeah. You know, the, especially the younger generation and in the more
08:46rural, uh, communities. Sure. Having access to that, it's really relevant because we need to make sure
08:52that the right, yeah, keeps up to speed with what's going on there and advance as technology advances.
08:57Our population also needs to advance to be at par with it. So that's also very relevant to our
09:03future. Exactly. And all of this actually has happened. Uh, would you say, would it be accurate
09:08to say that this has really, um, gained momentum in the past, um, two years? And before that,
09:14there was not this much of an awareness or even a need in the market? Well, I think entertainment was
09:20a key thing, key driver. Oh, sure. I mean, the pandemic, the lockdowns and et cetera. But even
09:24content, content, the social media and content's really evolved. Everyone's now becoming a content
09:30creator. Yes. Yes. Right. And all these activities, phenomenal, amazing stuff that's going on there.
09:35Um, and you need, you need good tech to support that and, but it's gotta be affordable. So pre-owned
09:41is a
09:41really great option, but a comp Asia is a trusted phenomenal option to that. Uh, and that's why we're,
09:49we're, uh, staying on this course to support the community in this way.
09:53Hmm. So I really want to go deeper, George, to tell us a little bit more about, um, comp Asia's,
09:58um,
09:58retail first model. So this is an interesting thing, mostly because anyone in the technology
10:03retail space has actually gone very comfortably, a hundred percent online, and it doesn't seem like
10:09they're turning back from that. Yeah. Comp Asia is doing the reverse. Yeah. Well, I would,
10:13I wouldn't say completely the reverse. You know, we, we, we do sell, uh, we do reach out to customers
10:18online as well, but, but, but retail is really super important to our strategy because
10:23being a, being in the pre-owned space, it takes a conversation with a human conversation,
10:28human conversation with, with, with the public. Right. So we, we have currently, uh, over 80 plus
10:34stores across the country and we are now reaching out and branching out more into the more rural
10:39areas in the small, in the small townships, uh, to have around 150, uh, to 160 stores by the end
10:46of
10:46this year. That's a huge, uh, leap as well because, um, the year before that, um, there were less than
10:5110 stores.
10:51I know, I know because it's all about having conversations, you know, to, to explain to
10:57customers about a trusted company, your product. Right. As well as, uh, having conversations about,
11:04uh, sustainability as well. You know, come in, you can trade in your old phones before they become
11:09e-waste. Come to us before they become e-waste. Right. And monetize. Or just lies in your drawer
11:14for 10 years or more. Don't waste it. Yeah. Monetize on it. We'll take care of you on that front.
11:20And then that will make you savings on, on a purchase from CompAsia directly. Or if you have,
11:26uh, if you want more flexibility on your payment, we provide this amazing Renew and Go 36 months
11:32flexible payment plan, uh, for the public as well. And the, actually on the Renew and Go program today,
11:39that's where we see a lot of, uh, uh, customers that, that are coming on board for that program.
11:46Right. So there's plenty of traction. I was just wondering, um, if you, um, were able to share
11:50with us a little bit about the split between, um, what percentage of customers approach, uh,
11:55CompAsia services online versus in person, especially when it comes to, um, older customers.
12:01Yeah. So online, of course, you know, we, we, we, we do reach out to customers to get that engagement.
12:07Uh, you know, hundreds of thousands of views and, and clicks and inquiries.
12:13It's important to keep that digital element as well alive, be active on socials.
12:17But with our retail presence and expansion of retail, uh, we see a lot more customers actually
12:24coming through the retail ecosystem versus the online ecosystem.
12:28Uh, so it's not so much a shop front, but it's more like, uh, human to human trust.
12:33Absolutely. And then the people in our store are, are not the typical person in a,
12:38maybe another phone shop.
12:40Okay. All right. Tell me what's different.
12:42The phone shop, there's, there is sell you a product.
12:44Yes.
12:44Maybe they'll, they'll be able to explain.
12:46A customer service rep.
12:47But in our store, it's a little bit different.
12:49We're, we're out there to have proper conversations about, hey, you know,
12:52trade in with us. Don't, don't contribute to future e-waste.
12:56Play your part in sustainability, reduce your, let's, let's make an effort to reduce your carbon
13:01footprint, right? That's one thing. When you buy a phone from us, it's a pre-owned.
13:05Yes, it is.
13:06So you're not contributing to carbon, to a future carbon footprint either,
13:09when you buy a new product from CompAsia. So the sustainability element is also very important.
13:14It's also important to the government, right?
13:16Naturally, because of course, with a highly digitalized society, we've got plenty of e-waste
13:21as new updates come out each year. And there's, of course, a segment of the population that's able to
13:27purchase brand new.
13:28Exactly. And then I'll continue. So that conversation includes, okay,
13:32this is a device that can support all of the needs and all the requirements that are now
13:38accessible today. Okay. Especially also with AI, right? At an affordable price point. And we have
13:45a lot of options for that, right? On top of that, if, if you want to aspire for something a
13:50little
13:51better, sure, you know, and, and for our customers, they want to aspire for a more later device,
13:58the latest device, but that, that's really costly. So we have a pre-owned option for that
14:04at an affordable 36-month flexible payment plan.
14:08Yes. Staggering it, but of course you get the device up front.
14:11Yeah. And what's really good about that payment plan, which we call Renew and Go,
14:14is that in the sense of it being flexible, even though it's over 36 months, you can come back to
14:20us after 12 months and say, you know, I want to get that other later model.
14:25Sure. So it's extremely flexible.
14:27Yeah. Take, take, take the one that you originally gave me and then I'll, I'll continue with that
14:31more advanced later model in the future.
14:34Yeah. All right. Fantastic.
14:34So we get that amazing flexibility and affordability on a very low monthly fee.
14:40It's that entry rate. All right. Yes.
14:42So George, we'll take a quick break. Don't go anywhere. We'll come back straight after
14:45for the rest of this conversation on digital access and accessibility.
14:59Welcome back to Niagara Spotlight. Still with me, Tamina Kalsji. And today's focus is on digital
15:03inclusion and accessibility. I have in the hot seat with me, George Hashim, Chief Strategy Officer
15:08with CompAsia. So George, continuing the conversation now, when it comes to pre-owned tech,
15:14pre-owned technology, seeing is really believing, right? So tell us a little bit more about the fact
15:20that yes, while there is increasing traction around the pre-owned industry for tech, at the same time,
15:28there would be Malaysians who are a little bit more cautious about devices which are pre-loved.
15:34So how does one actually overcome that on a customer to customer basis? Particularly, let's talk about
15:41those who are seniors and why it's really important that seniors also have the right kind of pre-owned
15:49technology. Yeah. So that's why, you know, we've invested heavily on establishing a brand recognition
15:55for pre-owned Malaysia, right? Through our marketing initiatives and efforts and public relations
16:01activities. Also working with the government in the same respects to get that word out, right? But the
16:08main thing is that we need to get more retail or more physical presence in the communities outside of
16:18the main cities. Right, exactly. Besides servicing... It's not just about Klang Valley anymore. No, it's not,
16:22right? It's not only about the elderly. It's also about the affordability gap that we're trying to
16:27address as well, which is more relevant to the rural areas of the country, right? So that's why we're
16:34committed to expanding our physical presence to reach out and have those, like I said, those conversations.
16:40Yeah. To get to explain them, you know, the trust, the guarantees or warranties that we provide on our
16:47products, right? As well as the affordability aspect of giving them payment options as well. Yeah. So that
16:56reframing of pre-loved and pre-owned devices from a cheaper option, quote unquote, to something which is
17:04trusted. I think the real connection between what the national conversation is when it comes to
17:11digital accessibility is actually the increasing incidences of financial scams as well as those
17:20that are particularly targeted towards elderly with savings. So what's the selling point when it
17:27comes to them trusting this? Yeah. So that really requires education and conversation, right? And
17:33of course, you know, for the elderly, they, you know, their children need to also help assist.
17:38And it's usually the children that do or their grandkids that help them get up to date. But there's
17:43only so much that can be done, right? So at least where we can play a part is the devices
17:49that they get
17:50from us, you know, they are, they go through a very stringent process to make sure that there's nothing
17:58funky or nothing dodgy or that has been possibly pre-installed in the device. Right. Because they
18:05go through a very strict processing and data wiping step. It's a pure, like a raw device that they get,
18:12but then they have complete control when it's passed on to them to then set up, get access to the
18:18right
18:19security products or apps to protect their, to protect themselves from what's got out there.
18:25So it's actually, I, I feel that what I'm hearing is there is a step-by-step process which occurs
18:30in
18:30the physical stores at CompAsia, which actually would be quite different from the purchasing experience
18:36of a brand new device. We are not necessarily getting this much of device related information,
18:44warranties, et cetera. It's just very top line, but it seems that you really do
18:48dig quite deep into it. Yeah. And it starts, it starts even for the devices being in the store.
18:54Right. Right. To ensure that we have a really good product, a secure product for our customers to,
19:01to have peace of mind on when they get it from us. Like you said, you know, warranty is very
19:06critical
19:06for a pre-owned. We provide that. Making sure the battery is 100%. That's really important for a pre-owned.
19:12And the device is a safe, secured check device. And the process that we've applied is not only a standard
19:22that we implement, but it's a standard recognized by, by companies such as Apple and Samsung who are,
19:29are partners as well. Sure. Official resellers as well.
19:31Well, I would say supply partners. Supply partners. Okay. All right. That's great.
19:36Training partners. Yeah. Exactly. Because that speaks to looking at it as more of a national digital
19:42inclusion. What are your thoughts on digital inclusion, particularly when it comes to
19:50re-commerce and Malaysia's digital public infrastructure? So very quickly, we've upscaled.
19:56We have the digital access. We've also got most people with devices, more than 95% odd. But with
20:04everything financializing and digitizing extremely quickly, what would be some areas on which we need
20:14to improve so that things can go even more smoothly? Yeah. Yes. 95% penetration on devices, correct.
20:21But that 95% penetration is not on the right device. Okay. We need to get more advanced technology in
20:28the
20:29hands of our people, right? Especially giving access to the AI so that we can ensure that this country
20:37stays at par, if not exceeds the global standard of a population being the more tech savvy, more advanced
20:46civilized countries. Exactly. Right? So it's about that, right? So our goal is to help get better
20:54capable devices into the hands of as many people as we can, not the lower end, not the devices that
21:03can't
21:03support all these new advanced requirements that are now accessible today. So that's really what we're
21:08committed to providing that affordability, sustainability way of doing it with flexible
21:15payment options for the public, like get those devices as a better option. And why pre-owned versus
21:22new to that as well? Well, you know, it's all about the sustainability impact in the future as well.
21:30Correct. And the future is basically here. We're already looking at, you know, roughly about two decades
21:36worth of e-waste and increasingly a lot of that is our smartphone and related small tech devices.
21:43So, you know, that's where Compatia also plays a critical role. We're really doing our best to
21:47support the government in putting more sustainable policies into place, right? At some point,
21:55these millions of 4G devices will become obsolete. Fair enough, yes. Millions. Correct.
22:00Right. And that contributes to millions of e-waste and future landfill e-waste in the country. So,
22:07when we work with Compatia or anyone works with Compatia, our job is to get those 4G devices
22:12to be traded in against the 5G, the next generation 6G, 7G devices in the future. And our job is
22:20to then
22:20repurpose those devices and then remove them from the country and redistribute them into countries where
22:254G is still going to be relevant for quite a long time. Exactly. We're not on that scale exactly,
22:30so we've got to move higher up the consumption chain. Yes, we already have to prepare for it.
22:34Yeah, correct. So, preparing is always crucial because also it's about being functional inside
22:39a digital economy, right? So, from Compatia's experience, George, actually transacting roughly
22:46over 3M on devices across Southeast Asia. What would you say is the key to having a circular economy,
22:56which is also inclusive of all these parts? And, of course, we have the beginnings of it,
23:02but how much longer do you think it will be before at least this digital ecosystem of re-loved,
23:10is actually coming into play? Well, you know, I think it's already started
23:14when the industry first started to first introduce what we call servicing the market with a proper
23:19trade-in service solution. That model itself. That model against a purchase of a brand new device
23:26by those key manufacturers like Apple, Samsung, the other Android brands from China. Yes. So,
23:33that's been introduced properly since 2018, but the adoption and the education is catching up. It's
23:42ongoing in a sense. It's ongoing, but it's catching up. The numbers keep on doubling year on year on
23:46since 2018, which is phenomenal, but still a small percentage of the total volume of devices that are
23:52sold out there. That element are now recircling back into the economy and through professional
24:00companies like Compasia, back to the population, right? And again, with our education and with support of
24:07these other, the government and these other manufacturers, is to get the mindset, hey, have that pre-owned
24:14option, primarily to provide you affordability and reduce future e-waste. So, implementing a sustainability
24:23metric behind it, but it's also an industry. It's also a business that works. Correct. And perhaps it's like the
24:31business angle, which is most ignored because it has such huge growth prospects, but at the same time,
24:37there is no real systemized collection point per se. If you could do something that is very ideal,
24:45that would help service the downstream, which would be an organization like Compasia, what kind of model
24:51would that look like so that you have a sufficient number of the devices? That requires a collaboration
24:58of a few, a few parties. Okay. A few different moving parts. Yeah. One is the government that sets a
25:04policy. The other one is the cooperation of the mobile operators that, that have a keen interest
25:11because of their device, their, their contributions to the device distribution in the country, together
25:16with the key retailers and the manufacturers, working in partnership with companies such as Compasia,
25:21to set and establish that what we call that circle economic opportunity for the country, which provides
25:29affordability to the public. It, it generates a stronger awareness of e-waste and sustainability to get
25:40that into the momentum, but primarily it's affordability. Yes. That's the number one factor, actually. The key,
25:46goal is to create an effective volume of devices that are removed from the country and redistributed
25:55into other countries where they're, they're using older networks like 4G or 3G, even currently today. While we,
26:04while we advance to the next spectrums of networks, 5G, 6G, 7G in the future, and the devices that we're
26:10getting in that circle economic is in that, in that space. And main thing is the people that have
26:19affordable access and all that, that struggle with that, actually have better access to more capable
26:25technology that's aligned with the network access at that point in time. Right? Exactly. So it'll be more
26:315G phones with more 5G users. When 6G comes in, there'll be more users on 6G. Yeah. Primarily, it's all
26:37about
26:37getting access also to AI, which is very relevant today. Exactly. I mean, definitely pairing users to
26:43the level of technology that is available in whichever locality. Would you say that, of course,
26:50we're speaking about outside Klang Valley perspectives in particular, but especially East Malaysia, Sabah,
26:57Sarawak as well. That is also like a huge market where very quickly we need to ensure that everybody has
27:03that digital accessibility, because without the right device, it's difficult to sometimes even make
27:10a living if you're far off and rural. Correct. Correct. That's actually the taking to a much deeper
27:16level extreme of accessibility and affordability, unfortunately. Right? But ConfAsia has been
27:21committed. We've already opened our physical presence in Sabah and Sarawak. All right. We plan to expand more.
27:28Right? How has that experience been so far? It's been good. It's been great. You know,
27:35our customers in East Malaysia really see value in what we're providing them. Right? Especially when
27:41they aspire to get access to better tech, but yet the affordability gap is an issue that they face,
27:47and we're that alternative. We give them that alternative with a pre-owned device versus a brand
27:53new, which is so much more expensive. And then on our Renew and Go 36 month flexible payment plan,
28:00where they can upgrade before the three years ends. Right? For them. So, phenomenal. Yeah. And
28:06we plan to achieve our goal by the end of this year to have 150 to 160 touch points, retail
28:14points,
28:14across the country. And East Malaysia is really important to our strategy to reach out to those
28:20communities there. Fantastic conversation. Thank you, George, so much for your insights. And also,
28:25of course, all of this becomes even more urgent, given the fact that the digital economy contributed
28:30close to 25% of annual GDP. So, that really speaks of the fact that we need to get those
28:37devices that
28:38have been properly pre-loved and returned to the new owners. All right. Thank you very much. All right.
28:45So, there you go. Digitalization does indeed work, but it works best when people stop noticing the
28:50technology and are simply able to get on with their lives with appropriate devices. That can happen
28:55when access is reliable, affordable, as well as trustworthy. As more of Malaysia's economy and
29:01public services move on to our smartphones, the quality of digital access itself is the key issue.
29:07That's all we have time for today. I'm Tamina Kausji, signing off for now. We'll see you
29:11again next week with more economic analysis and insights.
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