Malaysia is set to seize at least 5% of the US$90 billion global software testing market by 2020, said a Minister within the Prime Minister’s Cabinet.

Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan is in charge of the Economic Planning Unit within the Malaysian government. This move is expected to create 30,000 jobs for Malaysian’s over the next four years. He claims that this industry will suit Malaysia well, as they have the right workforce and expertise for the market.

Abdul Rahman believes Malaysia is “well positioned, with IT-related policies in place” and has a “good collaboration between the public and private sectors”.

Abdul Rahman is focusing on this industry, as he believes it will benefit the younger generation. It will provide “opportunities for Malaysian youths with IT backgrounds to start their own business or become part of the lucrative industry’s workforce”. Abdul Rahman will work directly with the Malaysian Software Testing Board to ensure local universities produce graduates with skills and knowledge of the industry.

Improving the quality of Malaysia’s existing software systems

Beginning next year all government IT systems and software projects will be checked over to assess its quality. This is to ensure that “systems and software deployed for the benefit of the people possess the quality level that is acceptable according to international standards,” Abdul Rahman said.

This process will also minimise the risk of security breaches and delays, ensuring only high quality software is utilised. Abdul Rahman believes by rising the quality, service suppliers will also raise their quality, thus making the market more competitive.

Edited from sources by Ruby Arenson