Greetings from MASSA!

2021 had been a most eventful year.

The COVID pandemic grounded mobility on land, sea and air, shuttered businesses, disrupted supply chains that became a global issue, not forgetting lives and livelihood that were lost or destroyed. This had impacted all layers of society and businesses in a profound way.

The containment measures led to a shift towards digitalisation in all aspects of living and doing business. MASSA was not exempted from this shift. It reached out to likeminded organisations and organised webinars on latest innovations in topics such as cybersecurity, drones, robotics and AI. In this edition’s Diary of Events we have reported on four webinars that were organised. These include: (1) “How Safe Are You Online?” on 18 August 2021, (2) “Cyber-Attack Prevention for Consumers and Enterprises” on 4 October 2021, (3) “Opportunities in the Drone Industry” on 13 October 2021 and (4) “How AI & Robotics Impacts Your Life” on 25 November 2021. More than 400 members and the business community joined us for these events.

With the easing of lockdown restrictions in 2H2021, MASSA had the opportunity to engage with members of the Embassy of Chile in Malaysia, InvestPerak and the Investment Office of the Presidency of Turkey.

In this December edition of the 2021 Newsletter, we want to thank H.E. Don Diego Velasco-von Pilgrimm, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Chile to Malaysia and to Brunei Darussalam for his role to reconnect MASSA with Chile & Latin America and his message for this edition of the Newsletter. Through His Excellency Don Diego Velasco-von Pilgrimm, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Chile to Malaysia and to Brunei Darussalam we were able to connect with Don Vincente Pinto, Investment Commissioner of Chile for Asia, Chile’s Foreign Investment Promotion Agency, InvestChile, who had provided the latest updates on the economic and emerging business trends in Chile and also as a gateway to Latin America.

We are also pleased to feature an article on “Cybersecurity Challenges that Small and Medium Enterprises Faced and Its Way Forward” contributed by Dato’ Ts. Dr. Haji Amirudin bin Abdul Wahab, CEO of CyberSecurity Malaysia highlighting the instances of cyber-threats, practical measures for the implementation of cybersecurity for businesses, especially SMEs and the initiatives under CyberSecurity Malaysia to support businesses as they develop and introduce sound cybersecurity strategies and solutions.

As we come to the close of 2021, we are thankful to MASSA members, article contributors, and collaborators for their persevering support throughout this challenging year. MASSA remains committed to present to members, trade, investment and business leads from the South-South countries, especially in light of the pandemic ushering an increased need for collaborative efforts at all levels and especially on the digital platform. To this end, several events (virtual and hybrid in nature) are in the works with our partners and collaborators. We look forward to your participation in these events in the coming year.

We wish all members and readers, a happy new year 2022, stay safe and keep well in these Covid-19 days.

Ng Su Fun

Editorial MASSA