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Oleh/By : DATO' SERI DR. MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD Tempat/Venue : TAPAK CYBERJAYA, BUKIT DAMAR, SEPANG, SELANGOR Tarikh/Date : 17/05/97 Tajuk/Title : MAJLIS PECAH TANAH DAN PELANCARAN RASMI CYBERJAYA 1. Terlebih dahulu saya ucapkan terima kasih kepada Multimedia Development Corporation kerana menjemput saya untuk melancarkan bandar cyber bagi Koridor Raya Multimedia Malaysia (MSC), iaitu Cyberjaya pada hari ini. Sesungguhnya pelancaran Cyberjaya ini adalah satu lambaran sejarah bagi MSC kerana pada hari ini kita mengambil satu langkah ke hadapan yang besar ke arah merealisasikan visi kita untuk mendirikan bandar bistari ini. Kita kini sedang berdiri di atas tapak bandar siber yang akan didirikan, bandar yang akan membawa kita ke generasi akan datang dan selepasnya. 2. The concept behind this model intelligent city as a core component of the MSC was not conceptualised overnight. It took years of contemplation, research and planning to come up with a strategic master plan on how we can achieve Vision 2020. Much research was done to study the core ingredients needed and the right recipe for what we envisage to be the real multimedia hub for the world. What we have planned for Cyberjaya is not just a place where companies involved in information and multimedia technology can operate in, but one in which creativity and innovation can thrive. The establishment of the MSC, and Cyberjaya in particular, will enable Malaysians to leapfrog into the Information Age. We hope to create the ideal environment that will attract world- class companies to use it as a regional multicultural information age hub. Our long-term objective is to catalyse the development of a highly competitive cluster of Malaysian multimedia and IT companies that will eventually become world-class. 3. Occupying an area of approximately 7,000 hectares when fully completed, Cyberjaya is expected to support a target population of 240,000 people in a first-of-its- kind information age working and living environment. As an intelligent city, Cyberjaya will be equipped with advanced IT and telecommunications infrastructure to meet the business, residential and recreational needs of the residents within the development, including some 10,000 knowledge workers who are expected to live in the area. It will be served by state-of-the-art telecommunications network with a capacity of 2.5 to 10 Gigabits per second, to be installed by Telekom Malaysia, which will enable high speed transmissions of voice, video and data between companies in Cyberjaya and the rest of the world. This world-class infrastructure will be able to support multimedia Flagship Applications, interactive multimedia services, advanced telephony and data services, as well as mobile communications services. 4. Apart from an excellent physical infrastructure comprising, among others, convenient and efficient transportation and multimedia and business facilities, Cyberjaya will also be supported by a package of `soft infrastructure' in the form of policies, practices, competitive financial incentives and a new set of Cyberlaws to create an environment which is fully conducive towards accelerating the growth of multimedia industries. 5. Another unique and compelling feature of Cyberjaya is that it would be developed based on symbiotic harmony between man, the environment and technology. This is based on the fundamental belief that technology will serve to provide a better quality of life for man within the environment, and this technology will be both user- friendly and environment-friendly. In developing Cyberjaya, every care will be taken to maximise the assets of the natural environment. The developers will also ensure that a suitable environment is created for promoting spiritual, mental and physical health and the enjoyment of nature and cultural pursuits. Amidst all these is an overriding objective to create a working and living environment where knowledge workers and other residents may interact freely in a relaxed social environment, thereby creating an environment conducive to promoting creativity and innovation, similar to that which prevails in the silicon Valley of the U.S. 6. The launch of Cyberjaya today could not have been more timely as the world celebrates the World Telecommunications Day, commemorating the founding of the International Telecommunications Union some 132 years ago. Our own telecommunications industry has certainly come a long way since the privatisation of Telekom Malaysia and the rationalisation of the industry. Today, there are seven network operators providing basic or fixed network services, out of which five are offering international gateway services, as well as seven cellular service operators. All of these operators are offering, in some form or another, digital technologies based on advanced network infrastructures. Currently, there are around 3.8 million fixed line customers and 1.8 million mobile phone users in Malaysia. Our penetration rates are very high by world standards and are growing at a rapid pace. Mobile telephony penetration, for instance, stands at 9 percent, even higher than that of Japan's when mobile telephony was initially introduced in that country. 7. There has been much talk that the lines of demarcation between the telecommunications, computing and broadcasting industries are fast disappearing. This cannot be closer to reality as the MSC begins to take shape. A high capacity network, such as the one being developed by Telekom Malaysia within the MSC, will enable simultaneous transmissions of data, voice and video at very high speeds. That is why we are now working on the Multimedia Convergence Act which is primarily aimed at addressing the overlap which is brought about by this development. 8. The backbone network which will be established in the MSC and in Cyberjaya in particular, will act as the main pipeline through which multimedia services can be tapped. This, however, does not mean that there will be no opportunities for others. There will be plenty of room to provide content and value-added services. I would like to take this opportunity to call upon local companies to look into strategic alliances and collaborations with global companies to explore this wide area of content development, especially to meet the needs of the Asia Pacific communities, whose cultural and social value systems may differ from those of the West. 9. The establishment of the MSC, of which cyberjaya is the nucleus, is a step towards embracing the future. It is intended to facilitate our transition from an industrial-based economy to an Information Age multimedia economy, helping to keep us competitive in the global economy. But this does not mean that other industries will take a back seat. Information and multimedia technology should never be an end in itself. Effectively used, it acts as a valuable input, and in many cases, a catalyst for many other industries. Advances in multimedia technology will lead to new applications, spurring the growth of trade and commerce, as well as the growth of productivity and efficiency in all the sectors. There are numerous opportunities and spin-off benefits, the impact of which will be felt for many generations ahead. All it takes is for us to open our minds to the wide-ranging possibilities and opportunities. 10. It was not too long ago that I was being briefed on the initial concepts of the Cyberjaya development. Now, I have been made to understand that the urban planning and basic network design have already been completed by Cyberview Holdings, the newly-established consortium that will undertake physical development of this project on a fast-track basis. Other aspects of the developmental planning, such as the refinement of the Cyberjaya Master Plan, the environmental impact study and land acquisition for the flagship development area, are already being completed or are nearing completion. To date, a total of seven specific sites have been identified for the location of some of the pioneering projects to be located in the Flagship Zone, the hub of Cyberjaya which covers approximately 2,800 hectares. By late 1998, phase one, comprising a 750-hectare development, will be completed, while the remaining areas will be developed in stages up to the year 2005. 11. I am especially pleased to note that to date, a total of 39 companies, both local and foreign, have already committed to locating their operations in Cyberjaya, as signified by the large balloons that you can see all around you, taking a claim on the plots of land on which to site their cybercity operations. I would like to congratulate these pioneering companies for taking that bold step forward into the future. Based on the high level of interest generated and positive feedback received over the past few months, I am confident that many other companies will soon follow this lead. I believe we have a compelling proposition for you to come and share our vision to build the perfect multimedia hub through a mutually-beneficial relationship. We also invite you to use our strategic position to tap into the Asia Pacific cultures and marketplace. 12. The progress of this fast-track project is by no means surprising. When we first announced our intentions to build the MSC, there were a few sceptics who have chosen to focus on the fact that this area was primarily covered in rubber and palm trees, thereby questioning our ability to complete the project within the timeframe that we have set for its development. But we need not worry about such remarks. Our solid track record speaks for itself. Time and time again, we have shown that our commitment and perseverance have led to the fruition and eventually the success of, many major projects for our country, bringing forth many spin-off benefits to our people. Our national car projects, the KLCC development and the Petronas twin towers, the North-South Highway, our state-of-the-art motor cycle plant in Gurun, are only a few examples of our successful fast-track projects. The building of our new international airport, which will be operational for the Commonwealth Games next year, will be yet another examples, not forgetting the development of the MSC, which includes both Cyberjaya and Putrajaya. 13. Since its launch last year, we have sought many potential companies to explain our plans to build this Multimedia Super Corridor and the attractive physical and soft infrastructures which accompany it. The response that we have received so far has been, to say the least, overwhelming. As you may be aware, an International Advisory Panel comprising top level executives from some of the world's most innovative and successful companies involved in IT and multimedia, has been established and its first meeting successfully held in January this year. There have also been successful promotional missions to the U.S., Japan and India in the first quarter of this year, led by MDC. Another promotional visit, this time to meet potential investors in Europe, is planned for the 20th of this month. 14. In terms of the seven flagship applications, various agencies from the government and private sectors, both local and international, have been actively involved in the development of the concepts and implementation plans. They are now at various stages of implementation planning and are expected to roll out the pilot projects from July this year onwards. 15. Saya ingin mengambil kesempatan di sini untuk mengucapkan tahniah kepada syarikat-syarikat yang telah memberi komitmen mereka kepada pembangunan Cyberjaya. Saya harap mereka tidak akan membuang masa tetapi sebaliknya mengambil langkah segera untuk mendirikan operasi mereka di sini. Saya mempunyai penuh keyakinan bahawa Cyberjaya akan bangun sebagai sebuah bandar bistari yang kita impikan dan akan menjadi inspirasi kepada orang lain. Saya ucapkan selamat maju jaya kepada Cyber Holdings dalam membangunkan projek ini. 16. Dengan kata-kata ini saya dengan sukacita merasmikan pelancaran Cyberjaya. |