WA and Malaysia join forces in the global war against the Millennium Bug

12/5/98

Western Australia and Malaysia have joined forces in the global war against the Millennium Bug.

Today, Commerce and Trade Minister Hendy Cowan and some of WA's leading companies dealing with the Year 2000 problem (or Millennium Bug), participated in a major seminar in Kuala Lumpur to share information about the problem.

Mr Cowan said the seminar was also aimed at showcasing the expertise of WA companies in this field, with a view to pursuing commercial opportunities in Malaysia.

The Year 2000 problem arises due to many computerised information systems using only two digits to recognise a particular year, with the possibility they will not recognise the new century at year 2000.

In a keynote address to the seminar, Mr Cowan said the Millennium Bug was a most important issue for both countries, and for any countries which traded with one another.

"Unfortunately, no country is immune from the Year 2000 bug," he said.

"If your economy is either computer driven or dependent on trade with other countries which are - as is the case with WA and Malaysia - then the Millennium Bug issue is your issue.

"In Western Australia we are fortunate to have an information technology industry which is highly skilled in all areas of business in which the Y2K problem manifests itself."

Mr Cowan said a number of those companies had formed a consortium known as the WA Year 2000 Centre of Excellence, a joint sponsor of today's function.

The seminar was organised by the WA Department of Commerce and Trade and the WA Government Trade Office in Kuala Lumpur.

Commerce and Trade is conducting a comprehensive Business Ready campaign within WA to alert businesses to the Year 2000 problem and assist them in dealing with it. A register of Year 2000 service providers has also been established.

The seminar was addressed by WA Business Ready manager Bruce Robins who said that the greatest danger to both countries lay in the apathy about the Millennium Bug problem that still existed at high levels in industry and in the potential distraction and diversion of remediation efforts into other projects of lesser importance.

"Solving Millennium Bug problems must become your first priority if your business is to prosper in the new century," he told the audience of more than 100 Malaysian business leaders.

The six WA companies participating in the seminar have expertise in mainframe computer conversion, desktop solutions, embedded systems and legal liability issues.

Mr Cowan said that both Malaysia and WA recognised the significance of acting now to avert major business and social disruption. Malaysia had established the National IT Council which was monitoring the progress of government and the private sector in dealing with the problem.

"WA has been acknowledged as the leading state in Australia for its Year 2000 campaign to ensure Y2K compliance," he told the seminar.

Media contact: Peter Jackson 9222-9595