KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 22 ― Minister of Communications and Digital Fahmi Fadzil has reiterated that Malaysia continues to be a preferred investment destination particularly for investments in data centres.

He said there has been growing interest in what Malaysia could play with regards to hosting data centres and the government is committed to developing governance structures, public policy and regulatory frameworks.

"We are prepared to engage with businesses, organisations, in order to have a particularly robust and future-ready ecosystem, what more given that Malaysia will chair Asean in 2025. At this stage, different countries within Asean possess slightly different preparedness when it comes to regulatory framework particularly around data protection.

"As such, we will not only be working on economic framework agreement but also working with my counterparts to accelerate the development of regulatory frameworks within Asean, to make sure that 660 million people are more ready to embrace and participate in digital economy,” he said at the Digital Transformation Leaders CxO Summit ― Intelligent Digital Transformation in the 5G Era here, today.

In the Malaysian context, Fahmi said one the things that need attention is convincing not only the Malaysian public but also businesses on the opportunities of how technologies including 5G could help to not only reduce cost, increase efficiency and productivity, but fundamentally shift and bring some changes to organisations to prepare for future technologies.

"So I encourage you (leaders at the summit) to start having more conversations including with Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) to see what the federal government can do to facilitate and expedite your investments including bringing talents from abroad,” said Fahmi.

He said this is a commitment given by the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim that he wished to change the way the world looks at Malaysia.

Fahmi said it is also in line with the country's New Industrial Master Plan 2030, whereby one of the key pillars to drive economic growth for the next decade is the digital economy.

Meanwhile, MDEC chief executive officer Mahadhir Aziz said it would be exploring many parts of technology adoption and areas, not only 5G, but a combination of blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI), among others.

He said that MDEC is actively strengthening the technological ecosystem, offering crucial support and resources to cultivate innovation, foster growth, and drive digital transformation.

"Through fostering a dynamic collaborative environment, MDEC is committed to propelling Malaysia towards a future characterised by cutting-edge advancements and sustainable digital development,” he said. ― Bernama