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Malaysia lags ASEAN peers in tech savviness

Malaysia's workforce was found to lag behind its ASEAN counterparts in terms of tech savviness, ranking seventh among the 10 countries in the region. Meanwhile, across the straits, Singapore took first place according to a Facebook survey by SkootJobs.com polling 150,000 users.

The survey found that only 46% of Malaysian respondents knew how to build a simple website - a skill that required minimal research and some confidence in the ability to use a PC with the availability of website builders like Wix and Wordpress.

On the other hand, nearly two thirds of Singaporeans said they could build a website compared to around a quarter of Filipinos.

When asking respondents if they knew how to build a simple website, these were the percentages of respondents in each country who said 'yes'.

Singapore - 63.4% Thailand - 59.3% Laos - 58.8% Vietnam - 57.2% Cambodia - 52.4% Indonesia - 50.0% Malaysia - 46.0% Myanmar - 41.6% Brunei - 34.5% Philippines - 25.6%

“Being tech competent is no longer a bonus, but a basic skill that employers are looking for. I am concerned that Malaysia ranks below some less developed countries. I feel changes are needed in the education system which should equip students with the technology basics, and also give students the confidence to self learn in general. I often see fresh graduates in Malaysia with shockingly poor IT literacy, coupled with an unwillingness to learn without being spoon fed,” said SkootJobs.com CEO, Asim Qureshi.

“Singapore coming on top was no big surprise, given its excellent education system, but I was surprised to see Thailand, Laos and Vietnam not far behind.”

Photo / 123RF

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