Speaking at the launch of FreedomFilmFest(FFF) 2016 in Petaling Jaya recently, Tijah attributed the lack of quick and easy access to information through the media, as one of the reasons why the Orang Asli were not exposed to current social and political issues affecting their community and the nation. However, this scenario has changed with the increase in the production of social documentaries such as those made through the FreedomFilmFest and their effective dissemination amongst the Orang Asli communities.

The time has come for e-sellers to shine as the very first Top EC merchant will be chosen.

Leonardo DiCaprio waited 12 years to get his Oscar, and he did not take the night for granted. But what about our local e-commerce merchants? In recent years, there have been many homegrown merchants rising to the challenge of doing e-commerce, and we believe that the time has come to recognise their excellence, innovation and creativity!

As such, the Malaysia Top E-Commerce Merchant Awards, the first of its kind in the country, was brought into existence by the Selangor Information Technology and E-Commerce Council (SITEC), with the support of major industry players such as Lazada Malaysia, Lelong.my, Logon.my, Youbeli, 11street, MOLPay, iPay88, Exabytes and eCommerceMILO.

The aim of the competition is to honour and recognise the efforts of the most innovative, creative and well-received e-merchants, helping to boost their brand names through a friendly competition, in turn helping e-merchants find out how they can improve their services and offers.

Since the launch of the competition on Feb 18th, there have been over 30 (and counting!) local e-merchants registered for this prestigious competition. Just as Leonardo DiCaprio did not take the night of the Academy Awards for granted, Malaysia’s e-commerce merchants should not miss this opportunity to showcase their products and services either.

In order to stand a chance to win some sweet cash from that RM25,000 prize pool, the merchant must have achieved at least 200 transactions or have over RM50,000 in sales volume for any single month in 2015.

Additionally, winners will receive other attractive prizes such as trophies, industrial recognition and credibility through official certification by SITEC, co-working spaces in SDCC for 1 year, and mentorship by industry experts.

12 Distinguished Judges Make The Call

Actual judging will be split, with the competition’s distinguished panel of judges holding 50% of the weightage while the remainder 50% of the weightage will come from public voting, representing the targeted customer base of the merchants.

The competition has the strong support of major industry players, with the panel of judges fielding 12 of the e-commerce sector’s pioneers and e-marketplace administrators, each able to provide their own insights into the judging process.

Of the 12, there are names such as Hans-Peter Ressel, the CEO of Lazada Malaysia, Andy Lau, the CEO of Youbeli, Adrian Foong, the GM of Lelong.my, Hoseok Kim, the CEO of 11street, and Bernard Yap, the chief digital officer of Logon.my. These gentlemen represent the most popular e-marketplaces in Malaysia, with the public no strangers to the brands they represent.

Also on the panel of judges are big players in the e-commerce scene, such as the co-founders of eCommerceMILO, Adrian Oh and CK Wong, the founder and CEO of the Exabytes Group of Companies, Chan Kee Siak, Chief Executive of SITEC Yong Kai Ping, and EC Class Manager Goh Boon Peng of SITEC. These gentlemen, being experienced and knowledgeable in e-commerce themselves, will be able to provide valuable insight and offer critique into the processes of the competition’s participants.

At the same time, an online business is not considered functional without a payment gateway. Following that train of thought, payment gateways are represented among the judges as well, with MOLPay CEO Eng Sheng Guan, as well as iPay88 CEO Chan Kok Long.