MALAYSIA PROMOTES OUTSOURCING IN SINGAPORE

From Zakaria Abdul Wahab

SINGAPORE, March 27 (Bernama) -- "Turn bad situation into better
opportunity!"

This is probably the most quoted phrase now among many during the current
global economic recession that it has almost become a cliché.

But to about 30 Malaysian outsourcing companies, the phrase has become a
good strategy for them to look for new businesses in the current dimmed business
climate.

Today they are here on a road show, organised by the Malaysian Outsourcing
Industry Consortium, to promote "Malaysia Your Nearshore Outsourcing
Destination" to Singapore companies.

Among the companies participating in the road show are MSC Cyberport, i-City
MSC, Kompakar Inc, Dataware Sdn Bhd, VADS Bhd, Callbox Communication Sdn Bhd,
Domain Consulting Sdn Bhd, Symphony BPO Solutions Sdn Bhd and Cuscapi Bhd.

Outsourcing Malaysia chairman, David Wong Nan Fay, said this was the first
and right timing for the consortium members to enter the Singapore market which
was much affected by the economic slowdown, and promote their outsourcing
businesses.

Wong told Bernama the Malaysian outsourcing companies were strong in certain
sectors such as oil and gas, supply chain, information technology (IT),
manufacturing and Islamic banking.

He said the companies were offering IT help desk, software development,
data, banking and payroll processing services, multi-lingual contact and
disaster recovery centres.

Wong, who is also the Association of the Computer and Multimedia Industry of
Malaysia chairman, said Singapore companies could reduce their operation
expenditure to 30 percent if they outsourced their operation to Malaysia.

He stressed that by venturing into Malaysia, the Singapore companies would
not only cut their business costs but could also access to talents that Malaysia
had.

He said the outlook of the outsourcing business in Malaysia was positive and
he expected it to grow by 15 percent during the economic crisis this year.

Wong also said Malaysia would host the 2009 Asia-Pacific Outsourcing Summit
in Kuala Lumpur on March 12 to 13, the first by an Asian country.

-- BERNAMA