April

2018 will see a sharp increase in demand for professionals with skills in emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning, while people with capabilities in Big Data and Analytics will continue to be the most sought after by companies.

The Indian IT industry is expected to add 180,000 to 200,000 new jobs in 2018. AI alone will create 2.3 million jobs globally by 2020, said Alka Dhingra, General Manager, IT staffing, TeamLease Services. Other jobs that are expected to increase in hiring include Blockchain specialists, digital marketing, and data scientists.

An errant Malaysian employer has been sentenced to one stroke of the cane for hiring illegal workers in the state of Selangor.

Although the law permits such severe penalties, the milestone decision has never been performed in the state before, said Immigration Department of Malaysia's director-general Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali.

In addition to the caning, the employer - a bakery owner - will serve six months in jail. He was found guilty of employing 15 illegal immigrants. In 2017, Malaysia's Immigration Department carried out checks on 188,884 employers as part of nationwide operations to curb the practice, which resulted in 1,257 arrests.

The Singapore Personal Data Protection Commission has published its response to feedback collected during a public consultation process related to alternatives for collecting, using and disclosing personal data, in addition to a mandatory data breach notification requirement.
 
The PDPC said it intends to amend its consent framework to incorporate the "Notification of Purpose" approach, where organizations may collect, use and disclose personal data merely by providing a form of appropriate notice and a mechanism to opt out.
 
Regarding the breach notification requirement, the PDPC stated that the time frame for the breach notification obligation commences after an affected organization first becomes aware that an information security incident occurred, and then it has 72 hours to report the incident to the affected individuals and the PDPC.