If we take an overview of what smart manufacturing means today - it is generally described as the application of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation in manufacturing, which is targeted toward evolving the ideal factory of the future.
This is usually defined by industry commenters as an intelligent factory utilising robotics, AI, and internet of things (IoT) technologies. Actual implementation focuses on installing sensors to collect data of products and equipment at each phase of the production process.
Meanwhile, robots should work autonomously and collaboratively to achieve often complex actions. Each processing station and production can work independently or in collaboration and self-adjust procedures in synch with the intended process.
Summarised in a Deloitte report1, connectivity and convergence are the underlying themes in Industry 4.0 as applied to manufacturing systems. Ideally, 'it is a leap forward from more traditional automation to a fully connected and flexible system,' the key features of such a manufacturing system can be summarised as: responsive, adaptive, and connected.
An April 2022 release by market research firm Vantage of Smart Manufacturing Market Growth and Trends2 report expects the smart manufacturing market to reach a valuation of US$237.4 billion by 2028, driven largely by demand in the retail sector, however.
Interestingly, Asia Pacific has been singled out by the report as the fastest regional to adopt smart manufacturing. Examples include India's 'Make in India' initiative, which has zeroed in on automating in-house manufacturing facilities.
In Malaysia, the country's digital economy focus, which includes developing smart communities among many other components, is anchored to the same transformational trajectory as the rest of the world
As smart manufacturing is another important component of the nation's thrust, a recent industry forum set out to3 probe the current state of smart manufacturing in Malaysia.
Moderated by Karamjit Singh, CEO of Digital News Asia, the discussion featured industry speakers: Rejab Sulaiman, Vice President, Products & Innovation of TM One; Barry Leung, General Manager of SmartMore; and Prof Dr Yeong Che Fai, Chairman of DF Automation & Robotics.
As part of the introductory round, the panellists were asked for their opinion on where Malaysia was today as a nation on the road to Industry 4.0 maturation. On a rough scale of 0-5, the consensus was deemed to be average - 2.5. This could be related to 98% of businesses in the country being small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which could barely rate 1+, while those larger companies, already on the transformational road, were pushing 4+.
Both SmartMore's Leung Prof Dr Yeong opined that resistance to adoption could be attributed to many factors: low minimum wage rates in the country preclude the need to adopt digital (such as robotics) on a large scale; no pressure on profit margins, and also low awareness of digitalisation, especially among smaller companies.
On the positive front however, all three speakers pointed to more digital projects and a steady increase in awareness of the benefits of digitalisation in the sector.
Rejab also pointed out that due to the pandemic, manufacturing companies today said their top three (3) priorities are to build resilience for their business and operating models; to enhance operational excellence; and to automate routine human tasks.
Although digital adoption is still low; the sector is starting to actively explore these solutions.
Some of the insights from the panel were recently confirmed by reports from various analysts and commenters.
SmartMore's Leung pointed out that the technologies underlying smart manufacturing were pretty mature.
Many commenters generally agree on the key trends arising from these technologies in manufacturing. For example, a Forbes commentary cited4 together StarUs Insights5, a platform scouting startups, has put pointed to some current contributors to Industry 4.0, a few or which are quickly noted here:
These all underpin the importance of manufacturing as the core building engine of our society.
In his introductory remarks, Rejab stressed that, "Today's TM One is not just about offering digital connectivity, it's not just about fibre, it is also about wireless - both 4G and 5G: we are building the digital infrastructure foundation that we can offer all of our enterprise and government customers. These sectors range across healthcare, banking, energy, education, and others."
TM One has built a strong foundation to help industries revolutionise and reshape businesses and cities, he said, when outlining an array of technologies, expertise and relevant skills readily available to drive transformation in Malaysia's manufacturing sector from TM One.
"Digital transformation (DX) is a process of moving to a technology-enabled platform to positively change a business model while providing new revenue streams and after-sales opportunities."
With smart manufacturing, the end objective of any initiative is to bring in automation by digitalising very aspect of the touchpoints from digital supply chains, connected and highly informed customers: convergence or linking of the business imperatives with operational data.
The journey comprises connecting machines to systems, monitoring and tracking, analysing the data, applying intelligent devices towards semi-automation - which is all part of a process towards full automation of production and the digitalisation of the ecosystem: one which is aiming for 100% work efficiency.
Rejab pointed out that advanced manufacturing capabilities in Malaysia will find fresh impetus with the roll out of 5G's speed, low latency and other advantages. "Initial 5G rollouts will start with KL, Cyberjaya, Penang and so on. In terms of smart manufacturing, is expected to experience immediate impact for larger manufacturers in the beginning, especially with the use of the massive number of sensors [as in massive machine-type communications or mMTC]; time critical responses, which needs 5G specs, [as in ultra-reliable low latency communications or uRLLC]; and high capacity services [as in enhanced mobile broadband or eMBB]."
As manufacturers in some sectors are already using IoT and 5G enhanced connectivity to build more agile production - such as with automated guided vehicles (AGVs), and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) - understanding what a smart factory is important, said Prof Dr Yeong.
UK based independent research and technology organisation, TWI Ltd (formerly the British Welding Research Association7), defines a smart factory as 'a digitised manufacturing facility that uses connected devices, machinery and production systems to continuously collect and share data. This data is then used to inform decisions to improve processes as well as address any issues that may arise.'
Since the technologies used include AI, big data analytics cloud computing and IIoT, more technical skills are needed and today's manufacturing workers need to be hired for their brains as well, traditionally - their hands.
These skills span coding to handling AI pored robots, which can all be learned by employees and students ready to develop these competences.
Initiatives from government are of course welcome to promote the skill sets needed for smart manufacturing, said Prof Dr Yeong. "From the university perspective, we can help prepare our students, encouraging them to work on projects in smart manufacturing; government encouraging projects - universities face the challenge of providing a foundation as the scope demanded by industry is too vast."
Around the world, commenters have8 noted increasing government support for smart computing, which includes investing in IoT and industrial 3D printing research and development for IoT.
Malaysia too is rolling out initiatives such as the country’s Industry4WRD policy9.
Furthermore, although low adoption has been linked to smaller concerns, Rejab in response to a question about using smart manufacturing solutions in kampung or rural based businesses (sometimes called cottage industries in some western parts ) pointed out that: "Smart manufacturing is not just about robotics; it is about putting together solutions that are appropriate to your factory. Businesses can install IoT sensors into your plant operations, and collect insights for dashboard reporting. There are many uses for these solutions because the core lies in the use of sensors throughout your chain and the use of data from it."
The encroaching reality is that more and more companies are facing the problems of costs, and will realise it is time to adopt smart solutions, said Prof Dr Yeong, adding that adoption levels are also aligned to raising the level of awareness, and further government encouragement will help accelerate digital adoption.
Echoing two themes noted by industry watchers, the panel agreed that trust and confidence will be needed to build awareness and dispel much of the uncertainties arising from the pandemic era
Another is to refresh scenario planning to offset future disruptions in the industry, a process explored by TM One during one of its leadership events, LEAP 202010.
Coupled with selecting the right solutions, building deeper partnerships between manufacturers and customers are important parts of transformation, affirmed TM One's Rejab, who later added: "The next few years will indeed the most important ones for Malaysia's manufacturing, warehousing and associated industries to build for sustainable growth and generate value in the digital arena."
This article first appeared in Disruptive News Asia11
1 The Smart Factory - Deloitte Report —
https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/insights/us/articles/4051_The-smart-factory/DUP_The-smart-factory.pdf
2 Global Smart Manufacturing Market | Vantage Market Research — https://www.vantagemarketresearch.com/press-release/smart-manufacturing-market-149600
3 Top In Tech Series - EP23: Smart Manufacturing in Malaysia - Reality Check - YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhYWOgKD-BA
4 The 10 Biggest Future Trends In Manufacturing — https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2022/01/25/the-10-biggest-future-trends-in-manufacturing/?sh=4eb91ffd4d56
5 Top 10 Manufacturing Trends & Innovations for 2022 | StartUs Insights — https://www.startus-insights.com/innovators-guide/manufacturing-trends-innovation/
6 7 Amazing Examples of Digital Twin Technology In Practice | Bernard Marr — https://bernardmarr.com/7-amazing-examples-of-digital-twin-technology-in-practice/
7 What is a Smart Factory? (A Complete Guide) - TWI — https://www.twi-global.com/technical-knowledge/faqs/what-is-a-smart-factory
8 Top 10 Smart Manufacturing Trends for 2022 | ATS — https://www.advancedtech.com/blog/smart-manufacturing-trends/
9 Industry4WRD Readiness Assessment | Official Website of Malaysia Productivity Corporation — https://www.mpc.gov.my/industry4wrd/
10 Jumpstarting Malaysia's digital economy with scenario planning — https://disruptive.asia/jumpstarting-malaysias-digital-economy-with-scenario-planning/
11 Making Smart Manufacturing Real in Malaysia - https://disruptive.asia/making-smart-manufacturing-real-in-malaysia/
Over the last two years, many brands accelerated their digital transformation to meet customers online. Customers quickly embraced the speed, convenience, and safety of digital experiences. However, digital alone is no longer enough. Emerging from the pandemic, consumers are now craving human interactions and a hybrid of both digital and in person experiences has gained momentum.
For these experiences to be meaningful to the customer requires a new level of customer obsession and a seamless, connected customer experience across all channels.
Jazlan Azizy Jusoh, Head of Business Services, TM One at Telekom Malaysia recently spoke about the expectations of today’s customers, and how creating a coherent digital experience can help brands to deliver this level of customer obsession. Jazlan says this begins with adopting more customer-centric processes.
“Thinking from the customer’s perspective is key. We must focus on what matters more to customers, instead of just what matters to us,” he says. “Put the customer at the centre, and design the right data architecture around the customer to build a 360-degree view.”
Read the full article here to learn more about how innovative technology is helping organisations meet the challenges of connecting with, and satisfying, customers across multiple channels.
Keselamatan siber adalah antara cabaran utama masa kini buat setiap organisasi di era digital. Pendekatan dan solusi yang melangkaui aspek perlindungan perlu diperhalusi untuk mengekalkan kesinambungan perniagaan setiap organisasi.
Laporan global pertengahan tahun 2021 daripada pakar keselamatan siber yang berpangkalan di United Kingdom – Acronis, menunjukkan bahawa kos purata pelanggaran/kebocoran data dan maklumat adalah sekitar AS$3.56 juta. Purata bayaran perisian tebusan (ransomware) pula meningkat sebanyak 33 peratus kepada lebih daripada AS$100,000.
Menurut ulasan dari pakar keselamatan siber dari TM One - cabang perusahaan dan sektor awam Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM), COVID-19 telah mendedahkan syarikat dan organisasi kepada lebih banyak ancaman pencerobohan pangkalan maklumat. Persoalan tentang serangan siber kini telah menjadi ‘bila’ ianyanya akan berlaku dan bukan lagi ‘jika’ ia akan berlaku. Walaupun pelbagai langkah telah di ambil, kebanyakan organisasi masih berisiko dan terdedah kepada serangan.
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Dengan tumpuan untuk menyelami bagaimana sektor awam dan swasta boleh mengukuhkan tahap kesiapsiagaan keselamatan siber mereka, ramai pakar dari pelbagai bidang berkongsi pelbagai pandangan, pengalaman, dan pendekatan secara terbuka. Konsensus umum mendapati isu persekitaran IT yang kompleks adalah cabaran utama terhadap pelaksanaan keselamatan siber yang efektif.
Berikut adalah tiga kunci kritikal untuk menentang ancaman keselamatan siber:
Gabungan teknologi blockchain dan kaedah biometrik menawarkan solusi yang lebih mantap dan selamat untuk mengesahkan identiti pengguna.
Pandemik COVID-19 telah memaksa lebih banyak organisasi mencari penyelesaian untuk membolehkan akses dari jauh (remote) kepada sistem. Memandangkan trend ini dijangka berterusan, pengesahan identiti pengguna adalah amat penting untuk keselamatan organisasi dan untuk memacu operasi yang lancar.
Sistem blockchain membenarkan data disimpan secara kolektif, yang menghalang sebarang gangguan/godaman. Pengguna boleh mendaftarkan butiran identiti mereka ke dalam sistem ini, dan organisasi keselamatan siber atau penyedia perkhidmatan seperti TM One kemudiannya akan memastikan ia tidak dapat ditembusi oleh penggodam.
TM One menawarkan penyelesaian Pengesahan Blockchain Terjamin (Blockchain Secure Authentication – BSA). Penyelesaian ini adalah sebahagian daripada tonggak Pusat Pertahanan Siber (CYDEC) yang fokus kepada perlindungan identiti digital. Ia adalah teknologi pengesahan tanpa kata laluan untuk mengelakkan serangan kelayakan (credential attacks), dimana penjenayah siber memintas langkah keselamatan organisasi dan mencuri data sulit. Langkah keselamatan melalui penyelesaian ini amat diperlukan terutamanya dalam sektor-sektor yang menyimpan data-data sulit dan peribadi pelanggan mereka seperti sektor Perbankan, Perkhidmatan Kewangan dan Insurans (BFSI), Sektor Kesihatan, Perkhidmatan Media Sosial dan Sektor Runcit.
Pengesahan blockchain adalah selamat, malah lebih pantas, dimana pengesahan pengguna boleh dilakukan dalam masa kurang daripada tiga saat. Penggabungan dengan sistem biometrik pula akan membolehkan proses pengesahan tanpa kata laluan sepenuhnya untuk pekerja sesebuah organisasi.
Teknologi biometrik, seperti sistem pengecaman muka, tidak memerlukan pengguna menghafal kata laluan. Terdapat banyak kes yang melaporkan penggodam mengakses dan mencuri kata laluan, dan pengesahan biometrik boleh membantu mengelakkan perkara ini.
Automasi sistem keselamatan siber membolehkan pasukan IT mengoptimumkan sumber sambil mengurangkan kesilapan manusia dalam tindak balas keselamatan.
Automasi ini juga dapat memberi faedah yang melangkaui aspek keselamatan siber. Aplikasi peranti mudah alih, Internet Benda (IoT), Kecerdasan Buatan (AI) dan automasi boleh digunakan untuk menggantikan tugas manual yang berulang sebagai sebahagian daripada usaha transformasi digital kerajaan dalam menyediakan perkhidmatan yang efektif dan selamat kepada rakyat.
Sebagai contoh, keselamatan pengumpulan maklumat sulit dan peribadi yang besar dalam sektor kesihatan melalui aplikasi yang membantu meningkatkan usaha pengendalian wabak. Inisiatif transformasi digital seperti ini akan membantu mengurus aliran data dan maklumat yang sulit dengan lebih baik tetapi ianya perlu dilakukan dengan menjadikan perlindungan privasi dan keselamatan data dan maklumat sebagai keutamaan.
Banyak perniagaan tidak mempunyai peralatan dan kemahiran yang diperlukan untuk melindungi mereka daripada ancaman siber yang sangat kompleks dan sentiasa berubah dengan pantas. Sehubungan dengan ini, pilihan untuk bekerjasama dengan rakan kongsi keselamatan menjadi salah satu penyelesaian utama. TM One menawarkan perkhidmatan langganan yang merangkumi penyelesaian bertaraf dunia untuk membantu meningkatkan kemahiran pasukan keselamatan dalaman sesebuah syarikat atau organisasi.
Pasukan perkhidmatan profesional keselamatan siber TM One terdiri daripada arkitek, perunding dan penganalisa keselamatan. Arkitek memberi tumpuan terhadap reka bentuk sistem keselamatan, yang di bantu oleh pakar perunding. Sementara itu, penganalisa keselamatan akan memberikan maklumat operasi keselamatan dengan menilai ancaman secara berterusan.
Portfolio keselamatan siber bertaraf dunia TM One menyediakan pelbagai penyelesaian untuk melindungi sistem daripada ancaman siber masa kini. Malah, TM One telah menandatangani perjanjian dengan firma komunikasi global Telefonica untuk memperkukuhkan penyelesaian infrastruktur digitalnya dan menentang ancaman siber secara global. Kepakaran kedua-dua syarikat ini akan memberi organisasi di Malaysia penyelesaian keselamatan siber yang kukuh dan berdaya tahan siber yang tinggi.
Kesinambungan kesemua ekosistem keselamatan digital perlu dilakukan secara holistik. Dalam persekitaran yang sangat mencabar hari ini, kolaborasi dalam menangani keselamatan siber menjadi keperluan asas untuk membantu organisasi dalam kesiapsiagaan keselamatan siber mereka dengan lebih baik.
TM One akan terus memainkan peranan penting dalam membantu organisasi memperkukuh keselamatan siber mereka dan mengurangkan risiko serangan siber.
Adakah anda tahu apakah sumber utama risiko siber di Malaysia? Klik pautan untuk memuat turun maklumat grafik megenai risiko siber utama di Malaysia.
Artikel ini telah diterbitkan oleh Berita Harian pada 23 Jun 2022.
In Malaysia, banks are stepping up in their journey into more sustainable financing and operating practices, making efforts to integrate environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) considerations into their governance, business strategy, operations and risks management.
Consulting firm PwC conducted a survey last year to gauge the Malaysian banking sector’s readiness for ESG. Results from the study were released recently and showed that financial institutions in the country have woken up to the ESG imperative, with most sharing concerns about climate change, environmental and social risks.
Of the 14 Malaysian banks polled, 90% indicated having assigned a department to operationalize ESG, showcasing that Malaysian banks are making progress in establishing governance and oversight over ESG risks.
In addition, 21% of respondents said they have already embedded three ESG-related frameworks within their organization, namely the Climate Change and Principle-based Taxonomy (CCPT), the Value-based Intermediation Financing and Investment Impact Assessment Framework (VBIAF), and the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).
Results from the 2021 PwC survey echo those of a study conducted the same year by Malaysia’s Joint Committee on Climate Change (JC3). Formed in 2019, JC3 is a committee co-chaired by representatives from the Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) and the Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) that focuses on building climate resilience within the Malaysia financial sector.
The study, released in April 2022, shares findings from a survey of 24 respondents in the banking, finance and insurance sectors, and found strong commitments from Malaysian financial institutions on sustainability and climate issues.
92% of respondents indicated having a sustainability strategy in place, and 73% of banking respondents said they have made some commitments to ban or phase out financing of coal-related activities.
In the banking sector, Hong Leong Bank has been praised for being among the industry’s leaders in ESG standards, recognized by a 2021 CGS-CIMB Research paper for its efforts in promoting ESG practices across its operations, working with its borrowers to improve standards, incorporating ESG evaluation in its loan approval process, and practicing disclosure of ESG-related information.
Within the telecommunications sector, CGS-CIMB Securities has ranked Telekom Malaysia (TM) highly from an ESG perspective, highlighting the telco’s ability to consistently meet the regulator’s quality of service (QoS), key performance indicators (KPIs), relatively lower regulatory risks compared to other mobile telco players, and continuous effort to implement a robust cybersecurity framework.
TM announced earlier this year that it had implemented the use of renewable energy to power its data centres, becoming the first company in the country to do so. Two of its data centres, namely the Klang Valley Core Data Centre (KVDC) in Cyberjaya and Iskandar Puteri Core Data Centre (IPDC) in Johor Bahru have secured the Green Electricity Tariff (GET) from Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), as well as Green Building Index (GBI) and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certifications.
Further showcasing its commitment to sustainability, TM, together with Yayasan Sukarelawan Siswa (YSS) and 18 partners comprising local councils, institutions and universities, recently collaborated to plant 5,017 Gutta Percha trees (instrumental in the early beginnings of the global submarine telegraph network) at 23 locations all over Malaysia.
Members of the public will also have the opportunity to contribute as TM launched its Adopt-A-Tree campaign where customers can adopt a Gutta Percha tree which will be planted within the 23 unifi Green Zones.
In the long term, TM aims to cut down carbon emissions by 30% in 2024, 45% by 2030 and achieve Net-Zero emission by 2050.
The company is also aiming to provide high-access Internet to at least 70% of premises nationwide and has committed to having a minimum of 30% representation of women on its board of directors and in management.
Progress observed among Malaysian firms in integrating ESG considerations comes on the back of an ongoing push by the government to advance sustainability, as well as strengthen security, wellbeing, and inclusivity.
The five-year 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) development plan, introduced by the government back in September 2021, aims to achieve economic growth and transform Malaysia into “a prosperous, inclusive and sustainable country.”
Goals include achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, increasing the total installed capacity of renewable energy, enhancing green financing and incentives, and promoting the circular economy.
In the financial sector, the industry is guided by the respective blueprints and masterplans released by the regulators to address sustainability and climate issues.
In September 2021, the SC launched the Capital Market Masterplan 3 (CMP3), which serves as a strategic framework for the capital market to continue to support the economy and transition towards greater inclusivity and sustainability.
And earlier this year, BNM released the Financial Sector Blueprint 2022-2026, outlining the central bank’s development priorities for the financial sector over the next five years, anchored on efforts to foster market dynamism, support sustainable development objectives, and facilitate an orderly transition to greener, more climate-resilient economy and financial sector.
The rise in importance of ESG standards comes as consumers are growing more concerned about the environment and demand institutions to behave in ways that align with what they believe is socially responsible.
PwC, which polled 5,005 consumers, 2,510 employees, and 1,257 business leaders in the US, Brazil, the UK, Germany and India last year, found that 83% of consumers believe companies should be actively involved in creating ESG best practices. More significantly, 76% of consumers said they would discontinue relationships with organizations that treated employees, communities, or the environment poorly.
In Southeast Asia, this trend is evidenced by the surge in sustainable investing. Between 2016 and 2020, the issuance of sustainable bonds and sukuk, or bond-like instruments used in Islamic finance, grew exponentially at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 198% in ASEAN, reaching US$22.1 billion in 2020, a 2022 report by EY shows. Total ASEAN sustainable bonds and sukuk issued is projected to amount to US$29.8 billion in 2021.
This article was first published by FinTech News Malaysia
Many governments, state councils and local authorities talk about the potential of smart cities and how they unlock new possibilities in a hyper-connected urban environment. Ideas such as the sky being filled with flying taxis, robots sweeping the streets and rooftop farming on every building may seem like the epitome of human civilisation. But, is this the future we seek? The various studies into smart city concepts all lead us to one key observation, intelligence technologies will play a far more significant role in our daily routine as compared to massively disruptive ideas.
A brief look at the global smart city landscape reveals good progress in making our cities intelligent. Examples of the international efforts to build the foundations of next-gen digital playgrounds include prominent cities:
Malaysia is rising up to its global peers on this front. The national policies under the Malaysia Smart City Framework (MSCF), which includes MyDigital, IR4RD, JENDELA and GTMP, is set to enable the translation of blueprints into meaningful action plans.
From a survey held during the previous City Leap Summit 2020, TM One collected insightful grassroots data from 33 local councils or Pihak Berkuasa Tempatan (PBTs) on smart city implementations. Results displayed that most respondents were not ready to turn plans into actions due to gaps in infrastructure, shortage of financial resources, and below-average talent capabilities.
In addition, PBTs in Malaysia focused their efforts on basic systemic issues surrounding security, safety and transportation that have already been experimented on in other countries. Out of all the solutions introduced to local leaders, smart security & surveillance, smart traffic lights and smart parking systems were the top 3 priorities to help citizens achieve a better quality of life.
While the results may reflect the state of mind two years ago, we need to think bigger. A powerful catalyst for PBTs is to reimagine how their cities can create better living experience for Malaysians. While the extensive list of smart indicators provided by ISO 37122 may appear intimidating, the journey toward building smart cities begins with a single step forward.
Many around the world have already mastered of the art of building smart cities. So, as we celebrate the remarkable technological developments in major cities worldwide, we should also learn from them. Here are a few examples of cities that have embodied the critical success factors that contribute to a winning smart city:
TM One is in a prime position to support the government’s vision for smart and sustainable cities around the nation. While fancy solutions may capture headlines, we understand the importance of a strong foundation.
We provide an unparalleled level of robust and secured digital connectivity, coupled with a solid digital infrastructure. This includes Hyperscaled intelligent cloud solution and data centre infrastructure and services that protect data sovereignty.
As TM One continues to build solutions for the needs of tomorrow, we offer a wide array of smart city solutions to address the immediate PBT needs of today. Smart city applications, dashboards, smart street and traffic lights, smart parking systems and deep surveillance are great examples of our market-ready solutions to bring our customers closer to smart and sustainable cities. In fact, 25 PBTs around Malaysia have already deployed our smart surveillance systems to keep our citizens and utility infrastructure safe.
The icing on the cake is our integrated operation centre (IOC) which is a robust platform designed to efficiently consolidate various data types from networks and Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices to intelligent applications. This integrated monitoring system will enable local governments to make quick decisions and changes in response to real-time conditions.
TM One is the one-stop hub to support Malaysia’s smart city needs
While our solutions are ready to help PBTs in their mission to roll out smart city projects, we encourage a more structured approach.
The first step is to design a smart city blueprint that narrows down the PBTs’ concerns. We no longer need country-level frameworks; we need immediate action plans. Start by finding local priorities and focus on the key problems that would best benefit the citizens when addressed.
Next, implement solutions that have quick wins and solve the core issue. Take the initiative to experiment with niche smart city solutions and validate their benefits.
Last but not least, be open to exploring different types of collaboration models. Often, private-public partnerships are good ways to leverage the unique strengths of two distinct organizations to create a powerful solution. TM One is committed to helping Malaysia move toward smart and sustainable cities for a better future.
Md Farabi Yusoff, Head of Smart City from PLANMalaysia delivered his presentation at TM One’s City Leap Summit 2002. This article summarizes the key takeaways from his address.
“Smartness” is not a measure of how advanced or complex the technology being adopted is, but how well the solutions solve the society’s problems and address existential challenges”
– YB Datuk Seri Reezal Merican bin Naina Merican, Minister of Housing & Local Government
Smart City has been a hot topic of discussion for the past decade. With the advent of IR 4.0, the technology underpinning smart cities has matured significantly. Over the years, the Pihak Berkuasa Tempatan (PBT)’s understanding of the potential benefits to be reaped through the implementation of smart cities has also evolved. The next big challenge is in making the implementation of smart cities successful. There are two key imperatives in making this possible, viz., (a) developing a holistic smart city plan and (b) a blueprint for turning fundamental concepts into action.
Smart cities cannot be developed in silos – it requires a network of connected solutions that are effectively integrated, with data feeding into each element to ensure all facets of city-dwelling are elevated to the same level of capability and efficiency. An effective smart city is both holistic in nature and all-encompassing. The network of connected solutions also needs to be functional, providing tangible solutions to actual issues faced by citizens.
Even at a conceptual level, holisticness and people-centricity need to be embedded into smart city development to guide decision-making and ensure the solutions chosen are people-oriented and realistic. For this to happen, smart cities require careful planning and development, with each decision accounting for infrastructure, city operations and digital capabilities to create the solutions capable of elevating all elements of city-dwelling.
PBTs should prioritise taking this holistic approach into the conceptual framework of smart cities:
While a holistic, all-encompassing conceptual framework underpins smart cities’ strategic development, implementing the said framework presents an entirely different challenge. Concrete action plans based on a flexible, adaptable blueprint is the surest way forward in making smart city initiatives a success.
In creating an adaptable blueprint, PBTs need to ensure that all the 4 fundamentals of smart city planning are covered. While the overall action plan can be carried out incrementally through stages, each stage needs rigorous review. Subsequent actions need to be adapted to fit needs of citizens and PBTs accordingly as new findings arise across the journey. The blueprint can broadly be classified into three distinct phases.
As the Federal Department of town and country planning for Peninsular Malaysia, PLANMalaysia’s role in the smart city agenda is to guide and support local councils in realising their smart city aspirations. Our work encompasses the four areas which are detailed below.
Creating Smart City blueprints: Effective smart city planning and implementation cannot be one-off decisions. Each element needs to feed into one another to create a network of systems and solutions. With that, PBTs need a blueprint that strikes a balance in being both definitive and flexible, and to assist decision-making when it comes to choosing solutions and deciding ways forward – this is where PLANMalaysia comes in, to guide PBTs on blueprint formation and ensure decisions made are holistic and adaptable to future needs.
Running Malaysia Urban Observatory (MUO): Data collection and interpretation are integral to smart cities. MUO is a data-sharing platform that enables public data sharing and supports decision-making. PLANMalaysia’s custody of MUO ensures that all local councils can benefit from the federal department’s collaboration and support, effectively interpreting public data in enhancing services tied to smart city systems.
SmartCity Accreditations: Involved in the makings of the standards or benchmarks for smart cities and data integration. To ensure usability of data and effectiveness of smart city implementation, certain criteria needs to be met to ensure systems chosen are in fact beneficial, functional and can be used to generate the right insights to enhance public services.
Increasing Awareness: One of the vital challenges to smart city implementation is stakeholder management, and there are many. PLANMalaysia endeavours to manage vital stakeholders by running several campaigns and programs to align all relevant stakeholders, from investors to local authorities to local communities. This fuels understanding of the ultimate goal of transforming into a smart city and the benefits that stand to be gained by all stakeholders.
When addressing smart cities in the past, we may have been uncertain of what was needed. We may have not fully grasped the technology or were not aware of what we wanted out of it. Today, we are in a much more secure position – enriched by knowledge, alongside the maturation of the technology, we are more ready than ever to be elevated towards a smarter future. The road ahead may not be simple or straightforward, but we are equipped with guides, blueprints and action plans which are both symbols and roadmaps to success. They represent our common goals is our binding objective in uniting all stakeholders towards a smarter, healthier, more sustainable Malaysia.
