KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 25 — The Ministry of Communications and Digital (KKD) is expected to announce the introduction and implementation of 5G by Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB) with added features by end of March.

KKD Minister Fahmi Fadzil said DNB are currently studying and evaluating the available options to ensure the implementation will not just achieve an 80 per cent success but will be expanded throughout the country.

"We want to make sure there will be no negative effect on the nation’s finance and we hope by 2025, there will be at least 80 per cent coverage in populated areas,” he said when appearing on the Ruang Bicara programme to speak on the title of ‘Enhancing Digital’ which was broadcast by Bernama TV through channel 502, here last night.

Fahmi said the implementation of the 5G was to assist companies and factories to gain efficient and fast communication services because fast and efficient services can help improve productivity as well as offer efficient service to the public.

"I have seen how 5G is being used by local governments to assist in issues of traffic, since data reaches the centre that manages the administration of traffic lights more efficiently and we can monitor the condition of the entire city in real time.

"The 5G offers added benefits, especially to factories, oil rigs (to communicate faster and more efficiently and to send big volumes of data, machine learning, as well as carry out Internet of Things (IoT), plus the Industry Revolution 4.0 (IR4.0),” he said.

Meanwhile, referring to issues of personal security and online scams (scammer), Fahmi said KKD aspires to turn the Personal Data Protection Department into a statutory department to carry out its functions more efficiently.

He said the agency under KKD will become among important departments that need to be strengthened to serve more effectively in issues of personal data leakage.

"For example, if I issue a cash cheque, the bank will call for confirmation...that is the process, the same process applies for the security of personal data, and the government agency related to personal data must automatically inform the leakage of personal data. This aspect is being studied,” he said.

In the issue of security for personal data and handling the issue of scamnmers, Fahmi said the current laws need to be enhanced and the structure or policy because currently at least four ministries are responsible in the issue.

Apart from the above issues, KKD will also look at improving the current laws and aspire to upgrade the standard of the CyberSecurity Malaysia (CSM) agency as the Malaysian Cyber Security Commission because CSM has the expertise in cyber security and its services has been regarded as the best in the Asia Pacific region for digital forensic.

"We must work on forming a commission so that (CSM) can be given the powers to carry out investigations and has enough provisions of the law to carry out enforcement procedures,” he said. — Bernama