KUALA LUMPUR: It was a rare opportunity for Malaysians to "meet" Microsoft chairman Bill Gates in person.

And all they had was four minutes.

Thousands of participants of the World Congress on Information Technology 2008 here yesterday saw Gates appearing in front of them via holographic technology.

Many of the participants sat in awe when Gates appeared on stage and spoke on the need for more people around the world to embrace the Internet.

The technology must be more user-friendly for people to use it, he said.
"This is one way to create more jobs and opportunities locally," he said in the prerecorded message.

One way of achieving that was for local entrepreneurs to unleash their talents and tap into their full potential, he said.

Microsoft was focused on improving the lives of the people and believed in equal opportunity, he said.

"I am very excited to see what the future will bring."

The session continued with Microsoft vice-president Zhang Ya-Qin.

He advised companies to fight software piracy, which he claimed was the biggest problem facing all countries.

Zhang praised the Malaysian government for encouraging the development of information technology through the introduction of e-government and MyKad.

"The Malaysian government is way ahead of most countries. The MyKad is a smart device and provides all sorts of services, from identity to healthcare and others."