KUALA LUMPUR:The National Tech Association of Malaysia (PIKOM) has emphasised that information technology (IT) support must continue to remain as an essential service during the economic recovery phase.

In anticipation of an announcement by the government with regards to a possible lockdown and tightening of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), PIKOM chairman Danny Lee said it is important to address a mid- to longer-term economic recovery.

“During the earlier phase of the Movement Control Order (MCO) and the subsequent conditional and recovery phases, the work-from-home situation is part of the new normal.

“With that in mind, the IT systems that support employees to work remotely require physical or in-person intervention regularly to ensure that the system is performing at optimal levels,” he said in a statement today.

Lee further said that IT support and services must be made essential in whichever level of movement control decided by the government.

PIKOM said that to address the COVID-19 situation, a targeted approach would be a more balanced response -- one which allows economic activities to continue.

This can be done by identifying the localised problem areas that have been causing the COVID-19 cases to increase and applying stricter measures and enhanced SOPs to combat the situation, it said.

-- BERNAMA