PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia had successfully attracted investments in digital economy amounting to RM7.2 billion for the first six months 2022 and for the past one and half year had accumulated RM18 billion.
Minister of Communications and Multimedia (K-KOMM), Tan Sri Annuar Musa said, the amount collected shows the country is capable to meet the target of RM70 billion investments in digital economy by 2025.
Annuar said, through foreign direct investments and domestic investments, 10,000 job opportunities had been created.
The Minister added, the digital economy is a catalyst for economic growth, fast innovation, adaptation and technological movement in line with the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
“The joint efforts between K-KOMM and MDEC had attracted investors in digital economy from Australia, China, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Holland and United States of America.
“Most of the companies had invested in digital services, infrastructure and finance, digital cities, digital trade and digital content,” Annuar said in a press conference today.
Annuar said, all kinds of efforts have been done to promote digital economy and to strengthen Malaysia as a selected country for digital investments in ASEAN region.
Regarding the second quarter report in the progress of broadband in the country, Annuar said, more than 7.19 million premises had optical fiber coverage and this is close to the target of 7.5 million premises in the first phase.
In another development, the Minister said 839 broadband had been fixed in remote areas of Sabah and Sarawak and also the native people areas while 1,400 other locations need satellite services.
Annuar also mentioned on the attempt to standardise the cost, charge fee and expenditure for building infrastructure that varies in different states.
“In the Chief Ministers’ Meeting held on28 June 2022, it was decided that a special committee will be formed to standardise the costs in all the states. The local authorities (PBT) in each state are responsible to give the “right to pass through.”
“Some local authorities take a long time to process while others give blanket approval to enable the broadband programme to be uplifted, fix the optical optic and build towers in certain areas in the scheduled period,” Annuar reiterated.
He added the Point of Presence (POP) requires the cooperation of the local authorities so as to speed up the Jalinan Digital Negara (JENDELA) 1 and also POP 1 to be completed. –Malaysia World News
