Keynote Address
Monday, 18 December 2006
Mutiara Ballroom, Sheraton Utama Hotel
Bismillahir
Rahmanir Rahim, Wassalatu Wassalamu ` Ala Asyrafil Mursaleen, Saidina
Muhammaddin, Wa`ala Alihiee Wasah Bihee Ajma`een.
Your Excellency
Mr. Leopold Battel, High Commissioner of Canada
Permanent Secretaries,
Deputy Permanent Secretaries,
Senior Government officials,
Representatives from the private sector
Distinguished speakers and presenters
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Assalamualaikum Warrahmatullahi Wabarakatuh and a very good morning to all of you.
First
of all, thank you for inviting me to officiate this seminar. I would
like to express my utmost gratitude to His Excellency Mr Leopold Battel,
High Commissioner of Canada for organizing the ‘Canadian ICT
Capabilities Seminar’ today Seminar is indeed a bridge that will link
our private sector and also provides a valuable channel for exchange of
experience and knowledge as well as a platform for networking.
Your Excellency,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The
Government of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei
Darussalam acknowledges the significant role ICT plays nowadays, which
can be accurately described as the engine for growth. With ICT,
developments are enabled and businesses are facilitated. We should also
acknowledge the crucial role of the private sector, which can be
regarded as one of the prime movers and shakers of the industry. Thus,
we continue to encourage and facilitate the participation of the private
sector in this arena.
In
September 2005, the Ministry of Communications organized the National
Summit on Information Society (NASIS). NASIS has produced the National
e-Strategy Paper, which was developed in collaboration with the various
stakeholders in this industry, including representatives from our
private sectors. Among others, this document sets out core strategies in
realizing the vision towards an Information Society in Brunei
Darussalam, which includes, promoting a competitive-driven environment,
encouraging businesses, private sector investment and participation. It
also highlights several crucial focus areas such as e-Government,
e-Business, e-Education, e-Society as well as an Action Plan.
Our
commitment to develop the ICT industry, by making the environment more
conducive and supportive for our private sector to participate, is
further illustrated with the structural changes in the local ICT scene.
On 1st April 2006, we have corporatised Telecommunications Department
into Telekom Brunei Berhad. We have also established our regulator and
developer of the ICT industry, the Authority for Info-communications
Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam (AiTi). With such development
and the establishment of our regulator, we are now further able to
explore more ways to help our private sector gain a more secure and
sustainable footing in the ICT industry, not just domestically, but also
regionally and internationally. This can be achieved among others
through initiatives on e-Commerce as well as human capacity building.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The
Ministry of Communications, led by either myself or my Deputy Minister
has conducted several work visits to some countries, including
Singapore, Malaysia, India, USA and Canada. From these work visits, we
know that we have a lot to learn from our more developed counterparts,
including from Canada. Also from these work visits, I observe that
Brunei Darussalam is not that far behind as some countries have only
started to gain their ICT prominence in the past ten years.
During
my visit to Canada last May, I am impressed by the achievements made by
the Waterloo Region, known as Canada Technology Triangle. The success
of the Waterloo region clearly proves the results of the success of a
synergy and close cooperation between government, businesses and
University of Waterloo and other academic institutions.
The
landscape of the towns of Kitchener-Waterloo and Cambridge have been
transformed from shoemaker, textiles, furniture and food-processing
townships and roll into the new economy – world leading Blackberry
wireless communications devices, the product of their Research
Technology Park.
The
Accelerator Center which forms part of the Technology Park encourage
the growth of high tech firms and act as a catalyst for the creation of
new products and services. It provides a fertile environment to
commercialize the innovative work done by universities, colleges,
hospitals and laboratories and private sector research facilities.
Today,
Waterloo region is home to internationally recognized companies and
institutions that are leaders in their respective fields of research,
education, innovation, products and processes and turning innovation
into commercial success stories.
This
is my dream and vision for Brunei Darussalam where creative ideas of
our young people can be turned into success stories. I believe this can
be done and I look forward to the SME Innovation Center which will be
launched next year. It will provide a good venue for our creative minds
to turn their ideas into success stories. This was true in the cases of
Canada, India and Vietnam. The ICT and telecommunication industry is one
of the many areas that can contribute to the diversification of Brunei
Darussalam’s economy from oil and gas.
David
Johnson, President of Waterloo University said that "What happens in
Kitchener-Waterloo in knowledge creation and dissemination and creation
of high-value innovation is a metaphor for the 21st century Canadian
economy".
The
Report on Business, April 25, 2006 states that "If Canada is to prosper
beyond the current commodities boom, we must learn from Waterloo’s
success, or risk becoming a global economic backwater".
Ladies and gentlemen,
The
presentations by various Canadian companies this morning will
definitely enrich participants with valuable experiences and knowledge
gained by the respective companies in their success journey in ICT
industry.
Through
seminars like this, I am certain we can create new links and strengthen
present relationships. We warmly welcome such links and relationships,
particularly from investors to come to Brunei Darussalam, not just to
implement your programs and activities but preferably to forge alliances
with our local players. By learning from your experiences and
knowledge, I am sure our capacity will be strengthened and that our
local companies can enhance their sustainability and competitiveness.
Ladies and Gentlemen
It
is noted that Canada is one of the lead countries in the bandwagon of
the e-Government implementation and I must admit we have a lot to learn
from you.
In
this seminar we will have the opportunity to be better acquainted with
what Canada can offer in terms of ICT capabilities, particularly from
all the well known and established Canadian companies that we are having
today.
It
has been our goal to welcome refutable ICT companies to set up base in
Brunei Darussalam and participated in our ICT development, among others,
in the implementation of our e-Government Program.
Our
e-Government Program allocated with the B$1b budget in the 8th National
Development Plan are also aligned with the goals of the National
Development Plan on diversification of the national economy from oil and
gas.
In
pursuing the agenda of the ICT development in Brunei Darussalam, there
has been several key milestones so far, for example we have established
the National IT Strategic Plan, The IT2000 & Beyond and also the
Brunei IT Council in year 2000. We have implemented our e-Government
Program for the first five years i.e 2001 to 2005. This year we did a
review of the 5 year implementation to define the way forward for
continuing the implementation for the next five years i.e 2006 to 2010.
In
the globalised world we live in today, the advance in ICT, has to some
extent, created a degree of dependency among us and thus underlines the
importance of regional and international collaboration. Brunei
Darussalam is an active participant of regional and international
organizations. In September 2006, we have hosted the 6th ASEAN
Telecommunications & IT Ministerial Meeting where the discussions
were not only limited to ASEAN Ministers. We also have sessions with our
dialogue partners from China, Japan, Republic of Korea and India. The
ASEAN ministers also have a session with the East ASEAN Business
Council. As a result of this meeting, the Brunei Action Plan was
produced which embodies the agreement on a Plan of Action, as well as
listing the ASEAN ICT Priority Projects for implementation in 2007.
In
this aspect, between Brunei Darussalam and Canada, we are members of
several common organizations such as Commonwealth, APEC and ITU. I am
confident that further networking and business opportunities will spurn
from such fora. We can also pursue a strengthened bilateral relation for
the sake and benefits of our people in general, and private sectors in
particular.
Your Excellency,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I
believe the Seminar today serves many important and useful purposes as
well as interests. I sincerely hope that the event today will bear
fruitful discussions as well as opens more opportunities. The event
today may be short but without a doubt we are here today opening more
opportunities for a strengthened and a long term relationship.
Thank you.
