A DEBATE is raging on Twitter about whether Cyberjaya is a success story or if it is the failed Silicon Valley of Malaysia.
Cyberjaya, established in 1997, is a city focused on research and development in knowledge-based industries.
It is situated on 7,000 acres of land, surrounded by two large lakes, and the buildings are designed specifically to cater to the physical needs of ICT and technology companies.
The name “Cyberjaya” means Cyber Victory and it was established as the nucleus of the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) plan, which aimed to advance Malaysia’s innovation and knowledge base.
The city is located 30km south of Kuala Lumpur and 20km away from Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The cost of living in Cyberjaya is highly dependent on individual lifestyles and preferences, according to the Cyberjaya City website.
But some netizens think the city is overrated and is now a failed Silicon Valley.
User @YbSadik said:
Cyberjaya was once thought to be the jewel of our country. Now is just a failed Silicon Valley, which never actually lifts up to its name.https://t.co/ge7YXB6lSo
— Sadik (@YbSadik) April 7, 2023
The post received 18, 200 views and multiple comments. That is because Cyberjaya is linked to former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad whose government in the early 2000s decided to push for the construction of the city.
There is an ongoing fight between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Dr Mahathir, with the latter threatening to sue Anwar if he does not answer a letter of demand for allegations made against the nonagenarian.
Supporters of Anwar are out in force, putting the blame on Dr Mahathir for whatever went wrong with the elderly statesman’s rule as Prime Minister. And Cyberjaya is obviously in the limelight.
Defending the idea behind Cyberjaya, user @Laffing_Gor said:
Idea was good. High paying jobs.
Initial MNC FDI Data/Call/Digital centres even Unicorn companies need to be based in Cyberjaya in order to get the MSC perks.
Unfortunately MSC status was granted everywhere in Klang Valley.
Miti Matrade based in KL some more🤦🏻1/n
— Laffing_Gor (@Laffing_Gor) April 7, 2023
User @MdDzul defending Dr Mahathir blamed the successive regimes after Mahathir for the ‘failure’ of Cyberjaya.
Tun dah berjaya set-up banyak untok negara. Sayang, penganti2 gagal mengekal memperkasa segala usaha dek tak berpandangan jauh, tak menghayati keperluan, selain nak ‘buang’ legacy, membuatkan banyak yang tertinggal, terbengkalai dan hilang. Menyedihkan.. 😓
— Dzulkefli Hanip (@MdDzul) April 7, 2023
He said Dr Mahathir has successfully set up many (institutions) for the country. “Unfortunately, the successors failed to maintain and empower all their efforts without foresight, without understanding the needs, in addition to wanting to ‘throw away’ the legacy, leaving many left behind, abandoned and lost. Sad..”
The point in the debate is that most netizens feel the city is a failure.
However, the government will have to disagree with the views expressed online, since Cyberview Sdn Bhd, a government-owned company mandated to drive investments into Cyberjaya gloats about its success.
It said the city has emerged as the capital of Malaysia’s tech community and is a sought-after address for established tech names and ambitious start-ups.
Over the past two decades, Cyberjaya has played a leading role in advancing information technology and tech adoption in Malaysia, driving the rise in the number of SMEs in tech as well as catalysing an exciting start-up scene.
In 2021, it unveiled a new master plan that was poised to attract some of the best-in-class tech players to this smart city, thus positioning its transformation into a vibrant and exciting global tech hub. — April 8, 2023
