JAKARTA: Malaysia is working to fully adopt 5G technology by 2023, says Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Marzuki Yahya.
He said Malaysia believed that it would greatly facilitate the government’s efforts to improve the livelihoods of Malaysians and catalyse Malaysia’s development.
“Malaysia is one of the first few countries in the region to welcome 5G technology.
“Last year, we established the 5G Task Force.
“The task force has already submitted its mid-term report on Malaysia’s process towards the adoption of 5G,” he said at the Regional Conference on Digital Diplomacy (RCDD), here today.
Ministers, officials, members of think-tanks and academics from Asean countries as well as Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea are taking part in the event to deliberate and share the best practices on the use of the new media for effective diplomacy. It will also provide an opportunity to participating countries to look into new initiatives and methods tp enhance the conduct of diplomacy, and foster regional cooperation in digital diplomacy.
Marzuki said Malaysia regarded digital technology as a driving factor for innovation and growth.
“While we embrace the freedom that comes with the digitalisation of the world, we should also remain cautious of its impact on our regional security,” he added.
Despite its importance, the effective governance of social media continues to elude the authorities at a time when acts of terrorism, extremism and hatred are conveniently propagated through these digital platforms, he added.
Marzuki said social media governance was important for maintaining harmony within the country, and with other countries.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) launched “sebenarnya.my” in March 2017, a portal dedicated to verifying news spread on social media.
With the tagline “Not sure, don’t share”, the portal has been useful in helping Malaysians to distinguish facts from fakes, he said. — BERNAMA