As Malaysia’s cloud demand surges into 2026, a critical gap remains: certifications aren’t a proxy for job readiness.
While the AWS Malaysia Region drives growth, employers struggle to find talent capable of managing live production environments.
The bottleneck is practical experience. Teams need fundamental security habits and structured troubleshooting and the “missing middle” between training and employability.
To address this, SAYS Tech spoke with Exabytes Group’s Chief People Officer, Annie Ong, and the company’s Technical Specialist, Khoo Sher Lyn.
They move beyond clichés to discuss shifting from theory to ownership and how women can turn certificates into real-world confidence.
Cloud Certifications
SAYS Tech: Why are many Malaysians with cloud certifications still struggling to land “job-ready” roles in 2026?
Annie and Sher Lyn: The challenge is less about effort, and more about exposure. Malaysia has strong interest in cloud certifications.
However, certification preparation often focuses on passing exams, while employers are looking for candidates who can operate in real production environments.
Cloud roles today require troubleshooting under pressure, handling live workloads, understanding security risks, and communicating with customers. That level of readiness comes from hands-on exposure, not theory alone.
Hence why we believe in building capability through applied experience because our mission is not just to adopt technology, but to enable businesses to grow digitally with confidence.
SAYS Tech: Beyond a certificate, what is the one “missing ingredient” that proves a candidate can handle a real-world cloud environment?
Annie and Sher Lyn: Ownership. A real-world cloud environment demands responsibility. Systems go down. Security alerts happen. Clients need answers. The missing ingredient is the ability to take ownership of outcomes, not just tasks.
At Exabytes, our ACTION value of Ownership is critical. We look for people who don’t just execute instructions, but think, solve, and step up when it matters.
Certification proves knowledge. Ownership proves readiness.
Women and Tech
SAYS Tech: For women switching careers, the technical barrier feels high. What was a “scary” technical concept that turned out to be much simpler in practice?
Annie: For many, including myself when I began understanding technical operations, concepts like cloud architecture or security frameworks can sound intimidating.
But in practice, cloud is about structured problem-solving. Once you understand fundamentals, networking basics, how systems connect, how data flows. It becomes logical rather than overwhelming. With AI tools today, learning is also more accessible. AI can simulate environments, explain code, and accelerate understanding.
Technology is no longer a closed door. It is becoming more democratised. What feels scary is often just unfamiliar.
Sher Lyn: For me, it was the concept of ‘Relational Database Structure.’
When I first heard terms like ‘primary keys,’ ‘many-to-many relationships,’ or ‘data normalisation,’ I thought I needed a Computer Science degree to understand them. It felt incredibly abstract and rigid.
But when I started using Lark Base to build the inventory system for my F&B client, it clicked. I realised that ‘database design’ is effectively just organised common sense. It’s simply asking: ‘If I have a Menu Item, and a customer makes an Order, how do I link them so I don’t have to type the item name twice?’
Once I stopped worrying about the technical jargon and focused on the real-life workflow, the barrier vanished. I realised I wasn’t ‘coding a database’; I was just digitally mapping out a process I already understood.
SAYS Tech: Why are “un-flashy” skills like documentation and structured troubleshooting often more valuable than just knowing how to code?
Annie and Sher Lyn: Because cloud is not just about building. It’s about sustaining.
In real environments, structured troubleshooting prevents downtime. Clear documentation prevents repeated mistakes. Communication prevents escalation.
At Exabytes, under our ACTION value of Integrity and Accountability, structured processes matter. Businesses rely on stability, not just innovation.
Coding builds systems. Structured thinking keeps them running.
SAYS Tech: With cloud pay forecast to jump by 2026, is this path realistic for an average career-switcher, or just for “tech geniuses”?
Annie and Sher Lyn: Yes, but not overnight. Cloud is not only for “tech geniuses.” It is an ecosystem. There are roles in support, governance, DevOps coordination, AI operations, customer advisory, and cloud migration consulting.
What matters is structured learning and continuous exposure. Malaysia’s digital economy including AI adoption will require diverse skill sets, not just hardcore programmers.
Cloud rewards consistency, not genius.
SAYS Tech: What is the one practical step a woman with a cert but no experience should take today to prove she’s actually employable?
Annie and Sher Lyn: Volunteer to solve one real problem. Offer to manage a small cloud deployment. Build a sandbox project. Assist in migration documentation. Join open-source cloud communities. Intern with SMEs.
We always value initiative. The fastest way to prove employability is to demonstrate applied capability. Even a small real project is more powerful than multiple certificates.
You can ask for review/referral from someone from the industry as well to add on the credibility
SAYS Tech: What is your unfiltered advice for Malaysian women who feel they are “too late” or “not techy enough” to join the cloud race?
Annie and Sher Lyn: You are not late.
Technology evolves so fast that everyone is constantly relearning even senior leaders. Cloud and AI are not about being born technical. They are about curiosity, resilience, and structured growth.
Women often underestimate their strengths, stakeholder management, risk awareness, organisation, empathy. In digital transformation, these are strategic capabilities.
Our ACTION value of Nurturing means we believe talent grows when given opportunity and support. You don’t need to be “techy enough.” You need to be willing to begin.
Your starting point does not define your ceiling.
Full article by SAYS.
