Govt allocates RM5 million for EDL programme - Rafizi

KUALA LUMPUR - The government will allocate RM5 million for the Executive Digital Leadership (EDL) Programme conducted in strategic collaboration between the Economy Ministry through its agency, MyDIGITAL Corporation, and the Asia School of Business/MIT Sloan Management.

Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli said the three-month programme offered a learning experience conducted by the Asia School of Business and MIT Sloan Management and is an effort by the government to build a competitive digital economy.

"An initial allocation of RM5 million is to cover for the cost of accommodation and after the first cohort is enrolled in November this year, we will have a better understanding of the allocations needed for the coming years,” he told reporters after the EDL signing ceremony here today.

He said the top management from public and private sectors participating in EDL would go through immersive learning modules conducted by strategic technology partners to provide an opportunity to understand how global technology companies are developed and managed, especially in generating innovation and creativity.

"Among the strategic partners for this programme are Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, IBM, Microsoft and Shopee,” he said.

Rafizi said the programme is also designed to empower top management in the public and private sectors with the necessary skills to drive the digital economy, develop digital processes in both sectors and harmonise the policies of ministries and government agencies to meet the requirements related to digitisation and technology use.

He said this is due to the advancement of the digital economy that required empowering the public sector through modernising public services using technology and data (govtech).

"The country needs ministries with high digital expertise in leadership so that government policies and initiatives are digitally and technologically oriented, especially in implementing the transition to govtech,” he said.

Therefore, he said there is an urgent need to establish a digital leadership programme for civil servants and the private sector at the highest management levels.

Applications are now open and further information can be obtained at https://www.mydigital.gov.my/executive-digital-leadership-programme. - BERNAMA