- 27 minutes ago
Malaysia’s MSMEs generated almost RM690 billion in economic value in 2025 and employed more than eight million people. But, what does it cost MSMEs when essential workflows are still in paper files, manual approvals and repeated data entry?
Ahead of Belanjawan 2027, Tehmina Kaoosji speaks with Christina Chia, Co-founder and CEO of Sabah-based Blaze Tech, about the cost of Malaysians MSMEs remaining trapped in the basic digitalisation stage, what would help businesses use technology well, and the barriers facing firms outside the Klang Valley.
The Government’s previous RM1.5 billion business digitalisation initiative for MSMEs was funded through public-private partnerships. Where should the next Budget focus its attention?
Ahead of Belanjawan 2027, Tehmina Kaoosji speaks with Christina Chia, Co-founder and CEO of Sabah-based Blaze Tech, about the cost of Malaysians MSMEs remaining trapped in the basic digitalisation stage, what would help businesses use technology well, and the barriers facing firms outside the Klang Valley.
The Government’s previous RM1.5 billion business digitalisation initiative for MSMEs was funded through public-private partnerships. Where should the next Budget focus its attention?
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NewsTranscript
00:07Hello, I'm Tamina Koushi and this is Nyaga Spotlight.
00:11Today our spotlight falls on Budget 2027 and breaking Malaysia's paper ceiling.
00:16Now Malaysia's MSMEs generated almost 690 billion ringgit in economic value last year
00:21and employed more than 8 million people.
00:25Yet many still run on paper files, manual approvals and biz ops in the hands of one or two key
00:32employees.
00:33Now last year the government already backed a 1.5 billion ringgit financing initiative for business digitalization.
00:40So as Balan Jawan 2027 approaches should support go beyond buying technology
00:45to helping businesses actually use that technology well.
00:50And what will it take for technology companies outside the Klang Valley to compete at a national level?
00:57Welcoming to the studios for this very timely discussion, Christina Chia, co-founder and CEO of Sabah Bay's Blaze Tech.
01:05A very good morning to you, Christina.
01:07Good morning, Tamina. Thank you for having me here today.
01:09Absolutely. Thank you so much for making time as well, Christina.
01:11Now many businesses, of course, they use digital payments, social media, basic accounting, software,
01:17but core operations are still lagging.
01:21We mean, we're talking about their paper files, spreadsheets, as well as their manual approvals.
01:26So let's talk about whether or not at this point in time, in late 2026,
01:31is there an overstatement of Malaysia's digital progress,
01:35whereby we are measuring whether firms have technology rather than looking a little deeper?
01:42Yeah, I think you can really tell us about this.
01:44I think this is a very interesting subject because, as all of us know,
01:48the pandemic has actually accelerated digitalisation among all the MSME, everybody, right?
01:56So it's just like the handphones that used to be just a meter away from us,
02:02now it's so close to us.
02:04It's like our best buddy, right?
02:06Now, so if we look at digitalisation from an MSME perspective,
02:11we also have a lot of hawkers who are using their handphones for e-invoicing these days.
02:15They don't need a laptop for that, right?
02:18They are well equipped with that.
02:19So, but then, when, I like to use a case study for that.
02:24So, all of us are using internet banking, we have e-wallets, we have internet banking, right?
02:29But when it comes to a corporate banking facility that you like to apply for,
02:34you probably, because you know nothing about it, I'm MSME and you know nothing about it, right?
02:38So you walk into the bank and you tell the bank that,
02:40I want to apply for a facility because you couldn't do that over the, online.
02:45So you walk in, they give you a form, lots of forms,
02:49please feel, feel, feel, feel, feel and sign by hand, right?
02:52So why are banks not putting a top-down change management on complete automation
02:59so that it really is the MSMEs to fill this up?
03:03So when the larger operations are not sending a message across to use all of this,
03:09then the MSME will tend to, okay, so when they go back to the office,
03:14or probably they are going to bring all these forms back to the office
03:17and tell the top management, you've got to sign this and that, right?
03:20Top management hasn't had the idea that I need to have a complete change in the way we do things.
03:25So that is why actually the digitalization, it's pretty broad, but it remains quite shallow, right?
03:31In a certain way.
03:32It wasn't deep enough because we didn't have a good top-down change management on automation yet.
03:38Understood.
03:39So now when it comes to manual administration, it is rarely recorded as a separate business cost.
03:45Let's actually talk dollars and cents, right?
03:47So it appears instead as, you know, you've got increased time from the staff,
03:52you've also got delayed approvals and payments, etc.
03:56Now, this is pretty significant.
03:58Let's talk about the hidden costs of digitalizing without going deep enough to take over complete control
04:06and ease and smoothen and also shorten times.
04:10Correct, correct.
04:11So I myself is a chartered accountant, a profession.
04:14Right.
04:14So I always think that this idea should be top-down rather than just our teammates telling us,
04:21hey, boss, we need to do this digitally, right?
04:23So when it comes to dollars and cents, it always comes top-down, the CFOs or the CEOs, the COOs,
04:30right?
04:31Now, I'll give you a case study for this.
04:33At once, I was approached by an ESG trainer.
04:36He was training a bunch of finance professionals for public-listed companies.
04:40So he came to me, Christina, I have a problem.
04:44I asked him, what's your problem then?
04:45He said, I need to train some finance professionals on ESG,
04:50but the only thing in their mind is just corporate governance,
04:54and I don't know how to bridge that subject on ESG
04:57because ESG is literally a mandatory subject for public-listed companies, right?
05:01So I said, oh, that's the best idea.
05:03Let me show you an idea.
05:05Probably you can tell the finance professional,
05:07automate, make sure it's complete change in automation.
05:11That means have all the right technology tools.
05:14Then they'll have time savings.
05:16When there's time savings, you don't cut headcount.
05:19You reskill those people, those finance professionals,
05:22to become ESG auditors.
05:25So when you reskill them, there's job satisfaction.
05:29And there's also job stability
05:30because then you do not need to change them out
05:33for newer, younger professionals.
05:35Right, then they don't feel themselves redundant.
05:37So when we look at this whole subject about change management,
05:41how digitalization and transformation helps us, right?
05:44It doesn't just come with dollars and cents.
05:47It's also the whole ecosystem that we talk about.
05:51Productivity, competitiveness as well.
05:52So there's actually so much happening.
05:54And at the same time, for example,
05:56with MSMEs actually showing quite a lot of interest
06:01in the business arena.
06:02A recent survey of 252 Malaysian SMEs
06:05had actually found that roughly only about 35% or so
06:09they are using Excel, for example, for core operations.
06:12So we're still at a preliminary stage.
06:15Now shifting them to that next stage,
06:18let's talk about digital literacy.
06:20Do you feel that, especially in heritage-owned MSMEs,
06:26it is actually the heritage which is playing a little bit of a role
06:29in the resistance against moving fully digital?
06:32There is.
06:33But I like the idea of being transparent.
06:36Okay.
06:36Because when the right digital tools come into place, right,
06:40literally you save time,
06:41you don't have problems in miscommunications,
06:44and at the same time,
06:46literally everything is so transparent,
06:49we don't have to guess what's on the agenda, right?
06:55Now, when we talk about AI,
06:58it's an AI era these days, right?
07:00The chat GPT, the AI's Gemini and all this, right?
07:04They can come up with a lot of tools for us.
07:06You just throw them an Excel format,
07:08they come up with a lot of summaries for you.
07:10But the issue with the decision makers,
07:14they need to be comfortable enough to understand that
07:17once these type of tools are being used,
07:20you feel comfortable in using them.
07:22So it has to be top-down.
07:24So even like...
07:24And as you were saying,
07:25there is actually so much of transparency
07:27because once records and amounts, etc.,
07:31are uploaded onto the cloud...
07:34Yes, or in the system.
07:35Correct.
07:35So they are actually visible across the board
07:37to everyone in the organisation.
07:39Correct.
07:39It's already there.
07:39So you don't have to worry about miscommunication.
07:42I once told you this, tell me now,
07:43but then you probably forgot about it.
07:45But if it's on record everywhere...
07:47That's right.
07:48You can see it from that.
07:49So I like the idea of being transparent
07:51because transparency will start the communication
07:55going smoothly.
07:56And it's the way where you close the gap
08:00on generation miscommunications.
08:02Why I call generation miscommunications
08:04because wherever we go to,
08:07we are bound to meet someone of different eras.
08:10Yeah, that's fine.
08:11And currently right now,
08:12we have anywhere up to three,
08:13sometimes even four generations
08:15working within the same ecosystem.
08:17Correct.
08:18So that actually requires a reduction in,
08:21for example, verbal messages,
08:23private instructions...
08:23Or manual processes.
08:24Manual processes.
08:25Not to say that that does not pre...
08:28That is not the first step of things
08:30and processes occurring.
08:32Well, probably your grandfather is in Australia.
08:34We are managing here
08:35and we may need a grandfather's approval
08:37for certain acquisitions, right?
08:40For family businesses.
08:41For family businesses.
08:42And that's many MSMEs.
08:42Yes.
08:43Right.
08:44So let's look at the fact that technology,
08:46of course, Christina,
08:47it can correct a badly designed process.
08:50Yeah.
08:50But at the same time,
08:51it can also reproduce existing inefficiencies
08:54and that becomes hard-coded
08:58into the software you're using.
08:59Yeah.
08:59So tell us about how our MSMEs
09:02can move past that.
09:03So they actually need to streamline
09:05even before they digitalise
09:07because how has the experience been
09:10for those who decide to streamline
09:12after they've digitalised?
09:14Exactly.
09:15I think the most important thing
09:17is the change in mindset
09:19because a lot of times,
09:21MSMEs are very dollar and cent centric.
09:24Sure.
09:24Right.
09:25So they do not...
09:26Very conscious.
09:26Very conscious.
09:27Cost conscious, right?
09:28So they do not probably,
09:30in order to save a few thousands on consultants,
09:33right?
09:34They probably say,
09:34I can do this myself, right?
09:36Now, if you ask me,
09:38the government also do a part
09:39into this whole projection.
09:42Why?
09:42When the government gives the right incentive,
09:45that means probably the government gives incentive
09:47for consultation expenses, right?
09:50Then they probably will be willing to spend
09:53to make sure that the top-down assessment
09:55and everything is done
09:56before the employment department of the system.
10:00So that's actually very important
10:01because why is that it's a mindset?
10:03A lot of times,
10:04MSMEs don't have the resources
10:06to actually plan properly
10:09and implement the project,
10:11the technology projects.
10:12So they are very action-oriented business people.
10:15So the moment they think,
10:17oh, I need e-invoice,
10:18straight away they go,
10:18I need to hire somebody to do this
10:21and I need,
10:21you know,
10:22they just invest in it.
10:24But in a sense,
10:25they are also adding on multiple costs,
10:27right?
10:27At the same time.
10:28Which also need to meet compliance.
10:30Exactly.
10:30So when the government
10:32takes the right incentives
10:33into,
10:34to put it into the right way of doing it
10:37and the transformation goes
10:38in the right direction,
10:39we'll have the right,
10:41I would say,
10:42it will be driving the transformation
10:44towards what Malaysia really needs
10:46in the coming three to five years.
10:48So speaking of the coming
10:50three to five years,
10:50there's of course
10:51Blanja 1-2027,
10:53the 2027 budget
10:54will be tabled
10:55in less than two weeks now.
10:57So speaking about that
10:58and the fact that,
10:59yes,
11:00a huge amount
11:01has already gone
11:02in allocations
11:03towards digitalization
11:04of MSMEs
11:06and this was in last year's budget.
11:08So looking forward,
11:09does it need to be reframed
11:12what the allocation is for?
11:14Because technology uptake
11:15does not seem to be the problem.
11:17Yeah,
11:17I think so too,
11:18you know,
11:19because based on the programs
11:22that Madani grant
11:23has been on,
11:24especially Madani grant,
11:25why I'm saying,
11:26talking about grants
11:27suddenly out of nowhere,
11:28because the only thing
11:30that attracts the MSME,
11:31they're not large organization,
11:32like I mentioned,
11:33they're cost conscious,
11:34right?
11:34Certainly.
11:35And a lot of times
11:36they will have
11:37these negative thoughts
11:38that the government
11:39don't help enough,
11:40didn't give enough incentives
11:41to offload them
11:43in their doing business costs,
11:45right?
11:46Government does give grants,
11:47but the problem with that
11:49is when the incentives
11:51are not targeted
11:53at the right type
11:54of transformation,
11:55for example,
11:57accounting softwares.
11:58All of us probably think,
12:00oh,
12:00I have accounting softwares,
12:01I also have
12:02e-invoi softwares,
12:03right?
12:04But my question is,
12:05why are incentives
12:06given to accounting softwares?
12:08Accounting softwares
12:09are on the market
12:09for 20 years,
12:10it's already very matured.
12:12These accounting softwares
12:13are actually
12:14basic necessities,
12:15they are not luxury anymore,
12:17right?
12:18So,
12:18but the right way
12:19of digitalization
12:20is move away
12:21from accounting software,
12:23if you are
12:24in taking ERP system,
12:25that means you go deeper,
12:27or right now
12:29you're totally
12:30not on any
12:30digitalization program,
12:32no software at all,
12:33you just cut and paste
12:34from your Microsoft office,
12:35probably,
12:36you know,
12:37and you're adopting
12:38a new software,
12:39a new way,
12:40it's a change management,
12:41and the government
12:42is giving incentives
12:43on that.
12:44So,
12:44it's the right mindset
12:45of,
12:46and also the right type,
12:48the right tools
12:48of the incentives
12:49that are driving
12:50the transformation.
12:51So,
12:52a lot of times,
12:53I still remember
12:54in the earlier days
12:55when we were having
12:56this invoicing implementation,
12:58so,
12:59a lot of the
13:00The familiarization stage.
13:01the familiarization stage.
13:02So,
13:02the government
13:02are telling
13:03the whole world
13:03that,
13:04okay,
13:04in two or three years
13:05down,
13:05we're going to
13:05implement e-invoice,
13:07you know,
13:07please prepare yourself
13:08and all these things,
13:08right?
13:09It's then on
13:10an implementation shock
13:11to all the MSME
13:12because the first thing
13:13on your mind is,
13:14I must comply.
13:16Yes,
13:16I must comply.
13:17And the first thing is,
13:18do I need to hire
13:19an accounting executive
13:21just to raise
13:21an invoice
13:22because no one knows
13:23how to do that,
13:24right?
13:25But the right way
13:25is if,
13:27or probably,
13:28the government
13:28in the coming budget
13:29is willing
13:30to give an incentive
13:31that,
13:32oh,
13:32I'll allow you
13:33if you are hiring
13:34or getting a service provider,
13:37a licensed service provider
13:38to do that for you,
13:40probably,
13:40I'll grant you
13:41an incentive
13:42for 12 months
13:42to familiarize yourself
13:43with this.
13:44You are guided
13:45by a licensed professional
13:46and you're not just
13:47getting someone
13:48who knows nothing about
13:50everyone.
13:50Yes, exactly.
13:50You're not getting someone
13:51just, you know,
13:52loose.
13:53Looks good on paper,
13:54exactly.
13:54Thanks, Christina,
13:55for the conversation so far.
13:56We do take a quick break.
13:57We'll be back right after
13:58the rest of the conversation
13:59right here on
14:00Niaka Spotlight.
14:15Welcome back to Niaka Spotlight.
14:17Still with me,
14:18Tamina Kausjie.
14:19And on today's
14:20Balanjawan 2027 special,
14:21we're looking at
14:22breaking Malaysia's
14:23paper ceiling
14:24with Christina Chia,
14:25co-founder and CEO
14:26of Sababase Blaze Tech,
14:29looking at software development
14:30and other arenas.
14:32So, Christina,
14:33now getting straight
14:34back into it.
14:35Now, the next step,
14:36of course,
14:37after digitalization
14:38is seeing whether
14:39or not your digitalization
14:41is data rich
14:43versus data poor.
14:44Now, data poor in general,
14:46the definition would be
14:47when organizations
14:48are unable to transfer
14:51or translate
14:52their main financial records
14:54into the digital space.
14:55Tell us more about
14:56the kind of challenges
14:57which our MSMEs are facing
14:59and what some of them
15:00are actually willing to do
15:02to get to that next step.
15:04I think very importantly,
15:06we first have to understand,
15:07right,
15:07in order for the lenders,
15:10the banks,
15:10or the investors
15:11to feel comfortable
15:12in the first place
15:13to give you money
15:14is you need to show them
15:15some tractions, right?
15:17Right.
15:17But when you don't have
15:18the right data
15:18to show them these tractions,
15:20that's where the problem comes in.
15:22So,
15:23I think the real main problem
15:24for this
15:25is to close that gap
15:26on financial management knowledge.
15:29A lot of the MSME business owners,
15:32they are not degree holders.
15:34So,
15:35they came all the way,
15:36they earned their,
15:37during the process
15:38of building their business, right?
15:40They learn how to do things.
15:41There may be failures,
15:42there may be successes
15:43along the way.
15:44They learn along the way.
15:45But,
15:46it all comes back
15:47to one good example.
15:49When you have
15:50a health dysfunction,
15:52it's mainly because
15:53of your bad habits.
15:56Cumulative things.
15:56Yes.
15:57It's accumulative
15:57and it's during
15:58a prolonged period of time.
16:00So,
16:00you may have a lot of people
16:01who tell you,
16:02you can do this,
16:02you can do that.
16:03We can have a lot of
16:04licensed financial professionals
16:05who tell you that,
16:06I can get you
16:07this type of financing,
16:08you know,
16:08facilities,
16:09alternative facilities
16:10and all these.
16:11But,
16:11when you don't have
16:12this type of attractions
16:13to make the investors
16:16and the banking sectors
16:17comfortable in giving you
16:19this money,
16:19it doesn't help.
16:20So,
16:21the very main thing is
16:22these business owners
16:23need to first
16:24remind themselves,
16:26fill yourself up
16:27with the financial knowledge,
16:30right?
16:30And,
16:32get rid of the bad habits.
16:33The bad habit means
16:35complete control
16:36over your data.
16:37And now,
16:38let's move into
16:39another really important arena,
16:40which is how
16:41digitalization
16:42also enables
16:44in today's landscape
16:46for our MSMEs
16:47to access finance
16:49easier.
16:50See,
16:51we also see,
16:52I still remember
16:53when e-invoice
16:54was first implemented,
16:56we have this QR code
16:58on all the hawker stores,
17:00you know?
17:00That's right.
17:01Yeah,
17:01yeah.
17:02And so,
17:02we still have
17:03some service providers
17:04who was actually
17:05providing value-aided services
17:07to the customers
17:08and tell those hawkers
17:09and say,
17:10oh,
17:10okay,
17:11auntie,
17:11uncle,
17:12if you use this QR code,
17:14right,
17:14literally,
17:14you will have
17:15all the data
17:16in your bank account
17:17and you literally
17:18can use your bank statements
17:19and send it back
17:21to our banks
17:21and we will help you
17:23with some facilities
17:23in this.
17:25So,
17:25literally,
17:26that is one of the way
17:27that they are teaching
17:29the broad,
17:31micro-enterprises,
17:32right?
17:33micro.
17:33Yes,
17:34changing their habits,
17:35changing their bad habits.
17:36Last time,
17:37they probably take monies
17:38and then just unrecorded,
17:39went out of nowhere,
17:41right?
17:41But at least now,
17:43with the QR code,
17:43this is one way
17:44where digitalization
17:45has actually brought in
17:46a lot of benefits
17:47to the ground,
17:49I would say,
17:50the grassroots,
17:52right?
17:53And it's also helped
17:54to visibilize
17:55this entire chunk
17:56of the active economy.
17:57Exactly.
17:58So,
17:59while we're looking
18:00at all this,
18:01a lot of times,
18:02again,
18:02we come back to,
18:03like I mentioned,
18:04the changing mindset.
18:06So,
18:07instead of,
18:08well,
18:08we still have some,
18:09I would say,
18:11the black ships
18:12who will tell you,
18:13oh,
18:13you don't have to
18:14report all these
18:16incomes,
18:17right?
18:17But,
18:17looking at it,
18:19if you are telling people
18:20you're making millions
18:20and your records
18:22don't show that
18:22you're making millions,
18:23how do you justify
18:25you're making millions,
18:26right?
18:26And,
18:26and just by digitalization
18:29and having all this
18:30complete record,
18:31right,
18:31helps you make
18:32proper financial
18:33management decisions.
18:35It gives you,
18:36like I mentioned,
18:37we have a lot of tools,
18:38right,
18:39technology tools,
18:39AI and Chachipidia
18:40and all this.
18:41So,
18:42when you have
18:42the right tools
18:43for this
18:44and then the right data,
18:46they give you
18:46the right summary
18:47of where your
18:48financial health is.
18:49Yes,
18:49exactly.
18:50So,
18:50speaking of financial health,
18:52now,
18:52this has become
18:52increasingly important
18:54so that MSMEs
18:55are able to
18:57scale appropriately.
18:58Let's talk about
18:59what the challenges are
19:00when they have
19:01invested in that
19:02initial round
19:03they're actually
19:04compliant,
19:05etc.,
19:06but perhaps
19:07they lack
19:07the ability
19:08or even the
19:09finances
19:10to deepen
19:11the type of
19:12software acquisition
19:13and program acquisition
19:14needed to go
19:15actually further.
19:17Right.
19:17So,
19:18this is where
19:18I think the government
19:19comes in place.
19:20Okay.
19:20Actually,
19:21our government gives,
19:22Malaysian governments
19:22gives a lot of
19:23incentives for technologies.
19:25There's a lot of them.
19:26But the problem
19:27comes with
19:28the professionals
19:29that you're hiring on,
19:30the service providers.
19:31Now,
19:31if you are getting
19:32a licensed professional
19:33for that,
19:34they have been trained
19:35to do a lot
19:36to upgrade themselves.
19:38They have CPDs,
19:39those training courses
19:40that they need to attend
19:41every year,
19:42right,
19:42and to keep themselves
19:43abreast of whatever
19:44the government,
19:45the incentives
19:45that government.
19:46So,
19:47if you are not getting
19:48the right service providers,
19:50the right consultants
19:51to tell you
19:53how you should be
19:54investing into all this,
19:56but let's say,
19:56for example,
19:57you work in a family business
20:01and probably
20:02the main shareholders
20:04who are your ancestors,
20:05right,
20:06do not really believe
20:08in technology
20:09and you wanted to tell them
20:11by digitalizing,
20:12for example,
20:13the way the packings
20:14are being done,
20:15it could help you
20:16double the productivity
20:17at the same time.
20:19So,
20:19the next question
20:19your grandfather
20:20is going to ask you
20:21is how much
20:22you're going to invest
20:23in this,
20:23right?
20:24Sure,
20:24to get it kick-started.
20:25Exactly.
20:26They wanted to,
20:27but the next thing
20:27that comes
20:28is the cost-conscious
20:29dollar sign
20:29that is going to come.
20:30So,
20:31what the newer generation
20:33should be telling them
20:34is that according
20:34to our professionals,
20:36our consultants,
20:37the government
20:37gives incentives
20:38for this,
20:39probably we may be able
20:40to get some tax deductions
20:42or tax exemptions
20:44out of all this.
20:45So,
20:45I think the right way
20:47and the right tools
20:48to move forward
20:48is looking for
20:49the right consultants
20:50to do that.
20:51Exactly.
20:52Just like when we came back,
20:53we had this discussion
20:54earlier on,
20:55when you have
20:55the change
20:56in management,
20:57you do a proper
20:58planning for that.
20:59Exactly.
21:00And I think the question
21:01also rises
21:02of smaller firms
21:03especially
21:03having access
21:05to the knowledge
21:05to make the decisions
21:06so that they're able
21:07to get competitively
21:09priced software
21:10that is able
21:11to add on
21:12to the benefits
21:13and not just adding
21:14on a cost
21:15which may actually
21:16affect their cash flow.
21:17Exactly.
21:18Yeah.
21:18So,
21:19that is the right way
21:19that we should be looking at
21:21and that's why
21:21I always,
21:22when a lot of business owners
21:24come to me,
21:24Christina,
21:25I have this problem,
21:26I'm unable to do this
21:28because dollar signs
21:29comes in a place
21:29and I will tell them,
21:31okay,
21:31there's two persons
21:32you can look for.
21:33You can look for
21:33a good consultant
21:34who will be able
21:35to tell you
21:36where you can save
21:37on the monies
21:38that you're investing on
21:39which means
21:39that's tax incentives
21:41or the second thing
21:42is we look for
21:43government agencies.
21:44Literally,
21:45I'm seriously
21:46well comparing us
21:47with probably
21:48some of our nearest
21:49or closest
21:50neighbouring country.
21:51We may not have
21:52that much
21:53but we do have
21:54a lot of such incentives.
21:56So,
21:57from there
21:57as we're landing
21:58the conversation,
21:59let's move the conversation
22:00into non-urban Malaysia
22:03or also,
22:04of course,
22:04East Malaysia.
22:05Now,
22:05you've built
22:06BlazeTech
22:06from the ground up
22:07in Sabah
22:07a few years ago
22:08and technology companies
22:10they operate
22:10on a completely
22:11different landscape
22:12which is much further
22:13from many investors
22:14and also,
22:15at the same time,
22:16government decision makers,
22:17major corporate players.
22:18So,
22:19what are the unique challenges
22:20which East Malaysian companies
22:22have for digitalisation
22:24and what are some
22:26interesting things
22:26happening in this arena?
22:27Yeah,
22:28I think
22:29there's a lot of challenges
22:30because
22:31the sea that separates us
22:33is really a deterrent,
22:35right?
22:35But I still think
22:37that most importantly
22:38is the mindset.
22:39We need a change
22:40in mindset.
22:42Sometimes,
22:43we will be given
22:44such kind of idea
22:46that
22:47something that comes
22:48from Sabah
22:48is inferior
22:49but in fact,
22:49it's not.
22:50We shouldn't be judging
22:51the book by its cover.
22:53It's the core
22:54that comes with it.
22:56but of course,
22:57what we,
22:58like for BlazeTech,
23:00we also have
23:01a lot of credentials
23:01that a lot of
23:02West Malaysian companies
23:03have,
23:04right?
23:04But why do we have that
23:06was because
23:06we want to break
23:07this idea that
23:09this company
23:10comes from Sabah,
23:11this product
23:12comes from Sabah,
23:13is it as good
23:14as a West Malaysian product?
23:15We tell them yes
23:16because the first idea
23:17we had was
23:18if West Malaysians
23:19can do,
23:19Sabah can do too,
23:21right?
23:21But having said that,
23:23I think the more
23:23interesting thing
23:24that I'd like to share here
23:26is the state government
23:28support,
23:29the agency support
23:30like Scenic
23:31is actually a government
23:33agency in Sabah.
23:34They do give a lot
23:35of supporting startups,
23:37tech startups
23:38or grassroots startups,
23:39enterprises
23:39and social enterprises
23:40and all these
23:41because,
23:42like I mentioned
23:43to you,
23:45the sea,
23:46the traveling distance
23:47is really a problem
23:49but if we have
23:50the mindset,
23:51persistence
23:51to do it,
23:52it's all actually doable
23:54and especially
23:54when we are building
23:55a tech product.
23:56Tech product,
23:58digital world
23:58is always seamless.
24:00It's always barrierless.
24:01Yes,
24:01it's not territorial.
24:03Exactly.
24:03And so some last thoughts
24:05on how government agencies
24:07may be able to play
24:08a stronger role
24:09in ensuring
24:10that more proven
24:11local technology partners
24:13are also in this landscape too.
24:16So by virtue of ourselves
24:20being ecosystem builders
24:21because we are one
24:23of those few Sabahan companies
24:25that managed to close
24:27this territorial gap,
24:29right,
24:29between West Malaysia
24:30and the East Malaysians.
24:32So we are very happy
24:34to say that
24:35we actually get
24:35the support
24:36from both sides
24:37of all the agencies,
24:39right.
24:40And not only that,
24:42I think
24:43one of the very important
24:45thing in order
24:46to close this gap
24:47is there needs to be
24:49a fundamental marketplace
24:50where not only
24:52an East Malaysian
24:54or a West,
24:54it doesn't come from
24:55any territorial
24:55at all,
24:56right,
24:56like I mentioned.
24:57So the most important thing
24:58is...
24:58equitable access
24:59to the market.
25:00Yes,
25:01that we can actually
25:02go to the agency
25:03and tell
25:03we have this product.
25:05Is there any other agency
25:07within the Malaysian government
25:09that you think
25:10we are able to
25:11project into them?
25:13We give them a choice,
25:15right.
25:16And like I mentioned,
25:17ecosystem is being built
25:18in such a way
25:19where we don't count
25:20which state you are in,
25:22but it's still
25:23the same support
25:23across the whole of Malaysia.
25:25We are still
25:26subtle Malaysia.
25:26So in conclusion,
25:28what would be
25:29your wish
25:30for Blunder 1 2027
25:31as it's coming up
25:32pretty soon?
25:33I think
25:34our government
25:35is very prudent
25:36in a lot of spending.
25:38There's always
25:39two sides to a coin.
25:41But
25:41from
25:42a business owner's
25:44perspective,
25:45instead of
25:46challenging
25:47why government
25:47is not giving enough,
25:49we should be looking
25:50at
25:51how do we make
25:52good sense
25:52of the incentives
25:53that they are giving
25:54to us,
25:56because like
25:56I just mentioned
25:57to you just now
25:58that we have discussed,
26:00well,
26:00they are giving
26:00a lot of incentives.
26:01You could also
26:02use the same incentive
26:03for your accounting
26:04software,
26:04but why use it
26:05on accounting
26:05software and not
26:06on ERP systems?
26:08So it's the change
26:09in the mindset.
26:10Absolutely.
26:10Christina,
26:11thank you so much
26:11for the valuable
26:12conversation so far.
26:14Well,
26:14digitalisation should
26:15of course now
26:16make businesses
26:16more productive
26:17rather than adding
26:18any operational costs.
26:19Blunder 1 2027
26:20can indeed help firms
26:22change how they work
26:23and ensure regional
26:24innovators can also
26:25assist with leading
26:26that change.
26:27That's all we have
26:28time for today.
26:28I'm Tamina Kausji.
26:29Thanks for watching
26:30Yag Spotlight.
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