The MSC Malaysia International Advisory Panel (IAP) brings together the “meeting of the minds” of some of the world’s most renowned industry luminaries and thought leaders in the global Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry. The panel provides advice and counsel to the Malaysian Government to set and prepare the agenda for the way forward in the development and growth of the MSC Malaysia and the ICT industry in Malaysia.

The IAP is recognized as the highest level advisory think tank group to the Government of Malaysia and valued as a structured platform for the Government to obtain accurate, timely and expert advice on technology and related matters in order to achieve Malaysia’s aspiration in becoming a developed nation by 2020.

Now in its 12th year, the IAP members’ inputs have contributed significantly to the fledging Malaysian ICT industry and have been used as part of the strategic implementation of MSC Malaysia.

Malaysia's national ICT initiative, MSC Malaysia, is now over a decade old and the nation’s technology landscape has changed drastically since its inception in 1996. Technology has advanced at a breathtaking pace since then, altering the way the community lives, plays and does business. The Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC), as the government agency tasked with driving the development of MSC Malaysia, has organized twelve IAP Meetings starting with the inaugural meeting at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California on January 16, 1997. That meeting broke new ground as it was the first time that such a distinguished group of industry leaders had assembled in one room to provide counsel to a federal government on how to create an ideal environment for technology.

The agency also nurtured MSC Malaysia into what it is today – a vibrant ICT community where local start ups and multinationals create products and provide services not only for Malaysia but increasingly for global markets. Today, some 2,300 MSC Malaysia Status companies generate US$5 billion in annual revenue in addition to conducting half a billion dollars worth of research and development. MDeC was also the co-organizer of the 16th World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) in 2008. A prestigious event billed as the ‘Olympics of IT’, it was a recognition of the nation's progress and commitment to the ICT industry. This year's edition of the IAP will be a special one as the Government of Malaysia is looking to chart a new course of partnership with the panellists, one that will help the nation navigate the new technological landscape and help her achieve greater heights in innovation and wealth creation.

This year’s 12th MSC Malaysia IAP Meeting will be held on the 8th – 10th November 2009, during which 15 IAP members and representatives will be participating in a series of interactive discussions with the top echelon of the Government of Malaysia that includes a one-to-one meeting with the Prime Minister of Malaysia and a Learning Symposium with MSC Malaysia key stakeholders. As with previous IAP Meetings, this year’s 12th MSC Malaysia IAP Meeting will produce useful pointers and direction for the MSC Malaysia. The MSC Malaysia community is looking forward towards a successful meeting which will raise greater expectations and efforts towards rolling out the MSC Malaysia throughout the nation.