SIBU: Entrepreneurs, creators and innovators here have been told not to let anyone tell them they have to be in a big city to make it big.
Deputy Minister of Public Health, Housing and Local Government, Datuk Michael Tiang Ming Tee, said the digital world had no zip code, and what mattered were their talents, ideas and hard work.
“Our role in the government is not to tell you how to do it. Our role is to make sure you have the infrastructure, the policies and the support to do it even better.
“Faster internet, digital skills training, grants for startups. We are working on all of these because your success is Sarawak’s success,” he said at the opening ceremony for the ‘National E-Commerce cum Digital Economy Conference 2025’ event held at a prominent hotel here on Saturday.
More than 500 attendees, including entrepreneurs, industry stakeholders, scholars and investors from various sectors nationwide participated in the event organised by Persatuan Pengamal Digital Multimedia Sibu (PPDMS).
The Pelawan state assemblyman pointed out that smartphones were no longer just for calls or messages as they could act as offices, creative studios and gateways to the global market.
“When a local baker uses social commerce to sell her cakes across the state, that’s digital transformation.
“When a young content creator from Sibu builds an audience of thousands, that’s intellectual property in the making. When our SMEs start selling to customers in Indonesia or Thailand, that’s cross-border trade happening right from our hometown.
“That is the real digital economy. And it’s already here,” he said.
Tiang said he was incredibly proud to see how far PPDMS had come by building something special and the conference was proof that Sibu was ready to lead in the digital era.
Wishing the participants a productive conference, he hoped they would leave with new connections, new ideas and new energy to take their businesses and creativity to the next level.
Organising chairman, Clement Tiong, who is also PPDMS Secretary, pointed out that the conference was not only for the participants to discuss the latest trends in business and technology, but also to work together in advancing Malaysia’s e-commerce and digital economy, ensuring that Sarawak and Sibu stood strong in this new digital era.
On the conference, he stated the distinguished speakers and panelists would share insights on empowering tradtional businesses through digital transformation; government grants and support programmes for e-commerce development; opportunities from cross-border trade and AI-driven innivation; and building brand IPs and short-form video monetisation models for the modern digital economy.
He said the conference also featured a series of hands-on workshops, led by platform experts and industry practitioners, designed to equip participants with practical skills in e-commerce operations and digital management.
“It marks the beginning of a new journey in economic transformation and digital thinking. I truly believe that as we take the first step toward digitalisation, Sibu and Sarawak’s e-commerce landscape will enter a new chapter of opportunity.
“Let us move forward together to advance e-commerce and the digital economy, creating new opportunities and a brighter future for Sarawak and Malaysia,” Tiong added.
Among those present were Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation Bhd’s Chief Executive Officer, Datuk Sudarnoto Osman, Sarawak Multimedia Authority’s Head of Digital Economy, Hemiet Kiat, and PPDMS President, John Tiong.
