Malaysia is currently working to fully adopt 5G technology by 2023, the country’s Deputy Foreign Minister said.
Malaysia believes it will greatly facilitate the government’s efforts to improve the livelihoods of Malaysians and catalyse Malaysia’s development.
Malaysia is also one of the first few countries in the region to welcome 5G technology.
Last year the government established the 5G Task Force. The Task Force has already submitted its mid-term report on Malaysia’s process towards the adoption of 5G, the Minister noted during his speech at the Regional Conference on Digital Diplomacy (RCDD) in Jakarta.
RCDD gathered ministers, government officials, members of think-tanks and academic fraternity from all ASEAN countries as well as Australia, India, Japan, New Zealand, China and South Korea to deliberate and share the best practices on the use of the new media for effective diplomacy.
It will also provide an opportunity for participating countries to look into new initiatives and methods in enhancing further the conduct of diplomacy, and in fostering regional cooperation in digital diplomacy.
Malaysia regards digital technology as the driving factor for innovation and growth in many important areas. Certainly, diplomacy is included.
While the country embraces the freedom that comes with the digitalisation of the world, it should also remain cautious of its impact on regional security.
Despite its importance, the effective governance of social media continues to elude the authorities at a time when acts of terrorism, extremism, hatred are conveniently propagated through these digital platforms.
Social media governance is even more important for maintaining harmony within the country, as well as the country with others.
In this regard, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has 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.
In an earlier report, OpenGov Asia noted that Malaysia’s National 5G Task Force, which was established to study and recommend a holistic strategy for 5G deployment in Malaysia, has made significant progress since its inception in October 2018.
Its chairman stated that the achievements of the task force include an increase in its membership, organising the 5G Malaysia Showcase, industry readiness in 5G implementation, as well as various plans discussed by each working group in the task force.
The four working groups under the task force; namely Business Case, Regulatory, Infrastructure, and Spectrum Management and Allocation; have all started work and are preparing their findings in the various areas of concern relating to 5G.
These include performing technical assessments, confirming suitable use cases and business model potential, as well as facilitating policy recommendations towards a more systematic 5G planning.
Apart from the work of the task force, a spectrum study is also being carried out to ensure readiness and availability of spectrum for 5G implementation.
Meanwhile, a call for collaboration for 5G Malaysia Demonstration Project with the industry will also be announced in the near future.
Under this call for collaboration, industry players are invited to propose projects under verticals such as Agriculture, Automotive, Education, Media and Entertainment, Health, Manufacturing, Public Safety, Smart City, and catering for the differently-abled.
In terms of membership, it was noted that the number has increased from 30 during its initial stages to 110 as of 31 May 2019.
The latest 5G technologies being trialled include an autonomous self-driving car, a drone for emergency first-responders, holoportation, remote surgery, and precision farming. These were showcased at the 5G Malaysia Showcase in Putrajaya in April 2019.