“Unleashing the Power of Cross-Border Trade” was the tagline of the second annual Southeast Asian E-Commerce Conference, with the message that cross-border trade is now available to anyone, due to the advent of e-Commerce and the rising internet penetration of the world.
Organised by the Selangor Information Technology and E-Commerce Council under the auspices of Invest Selangor Bhd and the Selangor State Government, the conference was held in conjunction with the Selangor International Exposition 2016 at the Mines International Exhibition and Convention Centre, and officiated by Y.B. Dato’ Teng Chang Khim, Senior Councillor of the Selangor State Exco.
“Crossing borders into the world is no longer the exclusive domain of deep-pocketed mega corporations, MNCs and heavily-invested companies. With affordable travel options and the power of the Internet and its inherent boundless nature, e-Commerce and Mobile Commerce are now fair game for SMEs as it removes a lot of the logistical obstacles towards establishing networks around the world, making smaller companies intending to find their place in the global market a little easier,” said Dato’ Teng.
Recognised industry experts and players were the invited speakers and panelists, with the topics ranging from discussing rising business models, to logistics and payment options and innovations, building a brand across borders, as well as the trends of the Southeast Asian region.
Miss Wee Huay Neo, Director of Ecommerce Enablement Division for MDEC, also spoke about the National e-Commerce Road Map, while YM Raja Nor Zihan, the Director of eBusiness & IT of MATRADE, also offered advice through her presentation.
“We have heard of whispers of success from unique Malaysian products such as Durian (Musang King), Bird’s Nest, fruits, 3-1 White Coffee and Spare parts being quite popular in the international marketplace. It is time for us to transform those whispers into a powerful storm that will allow the free flow of goods, services and talents, so that consumers will have a wider range of products and services with better quality to choose from, while the merchants would be able to scale up their businesses to wider markets,” said SITEC Chief Executive Yong Kai Ping.