KUALA LUMPUR, June 22 (NNN-Bernama) — Malaysian government is in the midst of preparing better policies and laws related to data and cyber security to make the country the digital hub of Asia, said the Minister of Communications and Digital Fahmi Fadzil.
In line with that, he said efforts, such as making amendments to the Personal Data Protection Act 2010 and scrutinising the Omnibus Bill, were being done to make the country’s digital policies more comprehensive.
He said that these steps are necessary because Malaysia has become a preferred location for foreign investors in the digital sector and Malaysia’s position at 27th place in the 2023 World Competitiveness Ranking (WCR) shows that the country has gained attention from foreign companies and industry players for investment.
“Many investors see Malaysia as a safe destination, and they have confidence in the country’s policies…this allows us to become a regional digital hub in the Asian region.
“Malaysia can be the digital gateway to this region…If our tourism sector has the slogan ‘Malaysia Truly Asia’, maybe we can highlight a slogan like ‘Digital Malaysia: Malaysia Through To Asia’…to promote the country as a digital gateway to Asia,” he told reporters here Thursday.
Furthermore, Fahmi said Malaysia needs to collaborate with other countries in the Southeast Asian region to develop data-sharing protocols that encompass aspects of data sovereignty and portability.
He said the move would complement the country’s and region’s digital economy system, hence making it possible for Malaysia to reach a digital golden decade and become the Digital Tiger of Asia.
— NNN-BERNAMA
