Fahmi confirms DNB among agencies going to Gobind’s Digital Ministry

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 10 — Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil today said the Cabinet has agreed to place several agencies under Digital Ministry, beginning with Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) that operates Malaysia’s 5G network.

Others also going to the Digital Ministry were the Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit (Mampu), Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), and Cybersecurity Malaysia.

“Before this, cybersecurity was put under the Prime Minister’s Department but the prime minister agreed for it to be transferred to the Digital Ministry so that corporate and private sector work can continue under the Digital Ministry.

“What it will need is some rebranding so that no misunderstanding arises concerning our digital safety and all of this will be done by the digital ministry. This was decided by the Cabinet today where the main points were for DNB and Cybersecurity (Malaysia) to move,” he said during a press conference today.

Fahmi also said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) will remain under his ministry.

Apart from that MIMOS, Malaysia’s national applied research and development centre under the Prime Minister’s Department will return to the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MOSTI).

“However, MIMOS’s digital ID function will remain under the Prime Minister’s Department. Once it is fully developed in March, it’ll then be helmed by the Digital Ministry,” said Fahmi.

At the same PC, Fahmi announced that Malaysia’s 5G network has surpassed the target of 80 per cent coverage of populated area (COPA), having achieved 80.2 per cent in December.

“This was an achievement as we managed to push for four per cent coverage in a month to hit the 80 per cent target the prime minister set. This coming Friday a joint task force consisting of the secretaries of the relevant agencies and those who signed the share subscription agreement to discuss what the next steps should be,” he added.

The Digital Ministry was announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim last year in a Cabinet reshuffle. Former communications minister Gobind was appointed as the digital minister.