Penang Digital Economy Summit – Collaborate on Opportunities, Shape the Future.

Collaborate on Opportunities, Shape the Future!

9 August 2025 | 10AM – 5PM | G Hotel Gurney, Penang | Open to Public

To Be Officiated by YAB Tuan Chow Kon Yeow,

Chief Minister of Penang.

Accompanied by YAB Tuan Chow Kon Yeow,

Chief Minister of Penang.

Penang Digital Economy Summit 2025

Learn more about Government and Private programmes, resources, guidance and assistance for Business Leaders, Innovators, Startup Founders and for Penangites Navigating the Digital Age of Penang in the next 5 years.

A Digital Economy Event Powered By Leaders and Industry Experts

Join Our Leaders & Experts

YB TUAN GOBIND SINGH DEO

Minister of Digital Malaysia

YAB CHOW KON YEOW

Chief Minister of Penang

YB ZAIRIL KHIR JOHARI

EXCO for Infrastructure, Transport and Digital of Penang

ANUAR FARIZ
FADZIL

CEO of MDEC

DATO’ MOHAMAD HARIS KADER SULTAN

CEO of NCER

NORMAN MATTHIEU VANHAECKE

CEO of Cradle Fund

TS. NG KWANG MING

CEO of Digital Penang

DATO’ NG WAN PENG

Board of Director of Digital Penang

DATO’ LOO LEE LIAN

CEO of Invest Penang

HEMALATHA MURUGIAH

Chief Executive of INTI International College Penang

MURUGASON R. THANGARATNAM

CEO of Novem CS, Malaysia

AIMY LEE

COO of Penang Science Cluster

DATO’ KHOO BOO LIM

Vice President of MAH National Board

ASSOC. PROF. TS. DR. SHANKAR KARUPPAYAH

Deputy Director, Cybersecurity Research Centre, USM

GARY LEONG

Sr. Director, ViTrox Technologies Sdn. Bhd

JEFF SANDHU

CEO of Sunway FutureX / 42 Penang

Navvin Kumar Kirupanandan

Senior Director of Investments, Gobi Partners

VINCE YEOH

Acting President of ROSE Charities Association Malaysia

ALAN ONG

Council Member of Malaysian Business Angel Network (MBAN)

HOWIE CHANG

Co-Founder and CEO of Forward College

FARZAN FADHLILLAH

Enterprise Transformation Specialist of TIME dotCom Berhad

NURUL ZAHIRAH BINTI AYOB

State Director of SME Corp. Malaysia

ET TAN

Founder & Managing Director of ET Partners Sdn Bhd

DATIN SHAHDEE DATO’ AHMAD

Director, Business Ecosystem / Secretariat,
Office of the Chief Executive of NCER

HASRI A.HASAN

COO of NCER

CHIAN MING TAN

Chief Technology Officer (PSDC)

KAI YONG KANG

Partner at GenAI Fund

NAVINA BALASINGAM

General Manager of Capital Markets Malaysia (CMM)

PROF. DR TOH GUAT GUAN

Branch Head of TARUMT, Penang

DR MATT BENSON

Senior Director of Think City

ADELINE PEREIRA

CEO of Effortsly

DR KHOR JEEN GHEE

IEEE Penang Joint Chapter Chairman

TONG JAE SHAUN

Head of Innovation Advisory & Special Projects of Cradle

FARAH WAHIDAH AB RAFIK

Head of Investment Unit of Cradle

DR KUAH LI FENG

Academic Manager, The One Academy Penang

NOR ASMAHAN OTHMAN

Head of Northern Region of Talent Corporation Malaysia Berhad

HENRY TYE

Director of Digitization SAMENTA Northern Region

IZWADEE HAMZAH

Cybersecurity Manager for Cybersecurity Malaysia

TPr. Gs. MOHD BASHIR BIN SULAIMAN

Pengarah Perancangan Pembangunan Majlis Bandaraya Pulau Pinang (MBPP)

DR. NG SHIN WEI

Programme Manager, Penang Green Council Strategies Sdn Bhd

Summit Themes

Digital Policies Empowering Penang

Cybersecurity in AI & Digital Age

Digital Talent, Startups & Industries

Investments for Digital Sectors

Digital Silver Economy

Digital Opportunities for Next Generation

Official Launching of

Penang Digital Economy Master Plan

2025 – 2030

SUMMIT BREAKOUT SESSIONS | OPEN TO PUBLIC – Seats Limited

Directly engage with experts & speakers on opportunities that will benefit your ideas, business and your career.

Click the boxes below to expand for more details

Ballroom 2

2 PM - 3 PM
The Human Factor - Why We're the Weakest Link in Cybersecurity

• Panelists :

En. Izwadee Hamzah
Head, Project Management Officer, Cybersecurity Malaysia

En. Mohamad Farzan bin Mohd Fadhlillah
Cybersecurity Product Specialist, TIME

Adj. Prof. Murugason R. Thangaratnam
CEO, Novem CS Sdn Bhd

• Moderator :
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Shankar Karuppayah
Deputy Director of Cybersecurity Research Centre, USM

3:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Strategies for Development of Investment Ecosystems for Regional State Economies

• Panelists :

Mr. Kang Kai Yong
Partner, GenAI Fund

En. Navvin Kumar Kirupanandan
Senior Director of Investments, Gobi Partners

Ms. Farah Wahidah Ab Rafik
Head of Investment Unit, Cradle

• Moderator :
Mr. Alan Ong
Penang Chapter Chairman
Malaysia Business Angels Network

Salon 2

2 PM - 3 PM
Digital Technology and ESG Adoption by SMEs

• Panelists :

Pn. Nurul Zahirah Ayob
State Director, SME Corporation Malaysia

Datin Shahdee Dato’ Ahmad
Director Business Ecosystem, NCER Malaysia

• Moderator :
Dr. Ng Shin Wei
Programme Manager, Penang Green Council Strategies Sdn Bhd

3:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Leveraging Digitalisation to address Challenges in the Silver Economy

• Panelists :

TPr. Gs. Mohd Bashir Bin Sulaiman
Pengarah Perancangan Pembangunan, Majlis Bandaraya Pulau Pinang

Mr. Vince Yeoh
Acting President, Rose Charities Malaysia

Dr. Matt Benson
Programme Director, Think City Sdn Bhd

• Moderator :
Mr. ET Tan
Founder & Managing Director, ET Partners Sdn Bhd

Salon 5

2 PM - 3 PM
Aligning Talent-Industry Expectations in the Digtal Age

• Panelists :

Chian Ming Tan
Chief Technology Officer, PSDC

Mr. Gary Leong
Senior Director, Vitrox Technologies Berhad

Ms. Nor Asmahan Othman
Head of Northern Region of Talent Corporation Malaysia Berhad

• Moderator :
Mrs. Hemalatha Murugiah
Chief Executive, INTI International College & University Penang

3:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Futureproofing Opportunities for Penang's Young Workforce and Future Generation

• Panelists :

Ms. Aimy Lee
COO, Penang Science Cluster

Prof. Dr. Janice Toh Guan Guat
Head of Penang Branch Campus, TAR UMT

Mr. Howie Chang
Co-Founder and CEO, Forward College

• Moderator :
Ms. Adelyn Pereira
CEO, Effortsly

PLATINUM SUMMIT SPONSOR BREAKOUT

10 AM – 12 PM at Salon 5

EXHIBITIONS – OPEN TO PUBLIC

10 AM to 5 PM

Learn more on the various initiatives to develop and empower digital economy for startups, businesses, MSMEs and the Penang public.

Penang Digital Economy Masterplan 2025-2030 Exhibits

Solutions and Products from Startups & SMEs

Thriving in E-commerce: Insights from My Lazada Selling Experience

For business owners, entrepreneurs, and individuals navigating the digital marketplace, this session offers an in-depth look into the dynamics of succeeding with Lazada. Join us for the Lazada Talk Session at the Penang Digital Economy Summit 2025.