Why Sii is expanding to Malaysia: Building new technology partnerships in Southeast Asia 

Malaysia is entering an exciting period of technological and industrial development. At the same time, organizations operating in Malaysia are facing a familiar challenge: turning investment and technology into real business outcomes requires access to the right people and expertise. This creates a perfect business opportunity for Sii to expand into the new market in Asia. 

Why Malaysia, and why now? 

Malaysia is not new to international business and outsourcing. The country already has an established Global Business Services and technology ecosystem. Dynamic business growth in past few years makes Malaysia particularly interesting today. However, considering business expansion, it is always worth taking into consideration the country’s current economy and labor market.  

The country’s National Semiconductor Strategy, for example, includes an ambition to train and upskill 60 000 highly skilled Malaysian engineers as Malaysia seeks to move further up the global semiconductor value chain (MIDA). [1] 

The National Energy Transition Roadmap is driving development across renewable energy, hydrogen, bioenergy, green mobility and carbon capture, utilization and storage. [2] 

Malaysia’s financial sector is evolving as well. Bank Negara Malaysia reports significant progress in areas including digital payments, cross-border payment connectivity and digital banking, with Malaysia ranking second globally in QR payment adoption. [3] 

Because investments in technology require more than infrastructure, for Sii this is a great opportunity to play a role in Malaysia’s future and provide the talent needed to grow. 

“We chose Malaysia because it seems to offer exactly what we look for when expanding our business: access to skilled technology and engineering talent, a dynamic environment, and proximity to key markets across Asia-Pacific. Being closer to our current and potential clients allows us to build stronger partnerships and support their growth more effectively. For Sii, this means creating new opportunities to connect talented professionals with organizations with ambitious business goals,” says Grégoire Nitot, CEO and Founder of Sii Poland. 

Connecting Malaysia with Sii’s global capabilities 

As technology-intensive industries grow, so does the need for software engineers, cloud specialists, data professionals, cybersecurity experts, enterprise application specialists, project managers and engineers across different disciplines. 

Sii has built its business by helping organizations access precisely this type of expertise across IT, engineering and business services. Its ambition in Malaysia is to bring together the capabilities and experience of the wider organization with an in-depth understanding of the local market and its talent ecosystem. 

There is also a natural connection between Sii’s existing international business and their expansion here. A number of Sii’s global clients already operate in Malaysia, creating opportunities for us to support them closer to their local operations while developing new partnerships with companies across Malaysia and Southeast Asia. 

For clients, this means access to a local partner that understands the Malaysian environment while drawing on the experience, technical competencies and delivery capabilities of an international organization. 

What kind of client partnerships Sii is looking for? 

“We are interested in working with organizations where technology and engineering capabilities have a meaningful impact on their competitiveness. Sometimes the challenge may be accessing specialized technical expertise that is difficult to recruit internally. Sometimesit may involve building a technology team for a new initiative, delivering a project against a demanding timeline or strengthening a development of the existing organization – says Mohammad Kashif, Regional Manager at the newly opened Sii office in Kuala Lumpur.” 

In other cases, a client may need reliable, long-term support for important technology systems and operations. We want to build partnerships where Sii can contribute more than additional capacity. Our goal is to understand the problem, bring the right people and capabilities together, and create measurable value for the client – he continues.“ 

For organizations working with Sii during this early stage of our development in Malaysia, there is another advantage – attention. 

Building Sii Malaysia successfully depends on the success of the projects entrusted to us. The goal is simple: earn the right to grow with new clients. 

The other half of the equation: Malaysia’s talent 

Technology services ultimately grow through people. Across its assessments in Malaysia, Sii has repeatedly observed one defining characteristic: the willingness of Malaysian professionals to learn and adapt. 

Technical knowledge remains important, but technologies, platforms and ways of working continue to change. Curiosity, adaptability and the willingness to continuously develop are therefore becoming increasingly valuable alongside technical expertise. 

“We are looking for professionals across IT, engineering and business serviceswho want to develop their expertise while working on projects that have a real impact on our clients’ operations. Ultimately lineup to Sii’s mission of identifying and promoting the best people. This is the kind of talent community we want to build at Sii Malaysia”  – said Mohammad Kashif, Sii Malaysia Regional Manager. 

Joining a new organization also offers something different from entering an established structure. 

The people who join Sii Malaysia during its early development will not simply join a company, but they will help shape it. 

Building a bridge between talent and opportunity 

Sii’s mission is to identify and promote the best workers. Our Malaysian expansion gives us an opportunity to put that mission into practice in a new market. 

Sii Malaysia ambition is to build a strong local IT, engineering and business services company that earns the trust of both its clients and its people. 

For companies looking for a technology and engineering partner in Malaysia, and for professionals interested in joining an international technology organization from its earliest days in the country, Sii welcomes the conversation. 

Sources

[1] https://www.mida.gov.my/mida-news/national-semiconductor-strategy-to-guide-industry-up-value-chain

[2] https://ekonomi.gov.my/sites/default/files/2023-08/National%20Energy%20Transition%20Roadmap.pdf

[3] https://www.bnm.gov.my/-/myfintech25-g-spch-bm