3 days ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
Pertama Digital launches initiatives to bridge digital divide
KUALA LUMPUR: Pertama Digital Bhd is accelerating its efforts to bridge the digital divide in Malaysia, particularly for underserved groups, including schoolchildren and micro-enterprises.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Chief Executive Officer Lim Nasrul Halim revealed that current core projects underway include Kocek Pintar and BizKecil, part of its push for inclusive digitalisation.
"Kocek Pintar, in collaboration with the Pintar Foundation, is being positioned as a cashless savings and financial literacy solution for students in underserved schools.
"With support from the Education Ministry and various digitalisation partners, we want to instil financial literacy from a young age.
"Children can track their balance, save automatically, and even be rewarded for good saving habits," Nasrul said during the press conference.
Nasrul added that the rollout includes providing digital payment infrastructure for school canteens, bookshops, and administrative offices, helping public schools modernise their operations with minimal barriers.
Meanwhile, BizKecil targets micro and small business owners, especially those in the B40 group, providing simple digital finance tools and access to microloans in partnership with a local financial institution.
"We have spoken with Persatuan Penjaja dan Peniaga Kecil Melayu, which represents around 400,000 informal traders nationwide, to improve business decisions and unlock access to credit.
"The platform provides simple digital bookkeeping solutions, QR payment features, and automated profit-and-loss tracking. Both initiatives are expected to launch in the fourth quarter of this year," Nasrul added.
Alongside these, other ongoing efforts include the development of CyberShield Malaysia, a national cybersecurity framework, and the enhancement of MyPay into a full-fledged digital government service platform.
Pertama Digital is targeting a return to profitability in financial year 2025, backed by a RM32.4 million profit guarantee over two years from D-Ron and growing contributions from its digital projects.
Pertama Digital is now executing a 100-day integration plan, combining surveillance and analytics technologies to strengthen its smart city and enforcement technology offerings.
"We also have approached companies from Europe and China, offering to build or integrate AI-driven systems with us.
"We are not acquiring for the sake of revenue or profit. If there is a gap that would take us years to close internally, and the right partner has that expertise, we will consider partnerships or acquisitions," said Nasrul.
