All ears: Dr Mahathir listening to Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Dr Xavier Jayakumar (third from left) during a visit to the AMBBR plant in Pantai Tengah, Langkawi. — Bernama
LANGKAWI: Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Malaysia is on track to commercially roll out 5G technology in the third quarter of 2020.
Launching the 5G Malaysia Demonstration Projects here last night, he said this marks a significant beginning in the nation’s journey towards strengthening its economy to achieve sustainable growth and share the country’s prosperity with the people.
“(This will also) ensure that we achieve our target of providing every citizen in this nation a decent standard of living by 2030, ” Dr Mahathir said.
Dr Mahathir said economically, 5G can serve as the infrastructure for innovative growth.
“The convergence of 5G and different industrial sectors such as agriculture, education, healthcare, manufacturing, smart transportation and tourism, presents new opportunities for industries, society and individuals to advance their digital ambitions, and deliver new and better services, ” he said.
The prime minister underscored that technology will continue to change the way people do things.
“And we risk being left behind if we do not change as well. On the other hand, it offers new, exciting challenges as well as immeasurable opportunities if we are capable of embracing them, ” he said.
The prime minister noted that the interconnectedness of the economy may not make Malaysia immune to global economic headwinds.
“(But) it is what we continue to strive towards every day to outperform and push boundaries, that will allow us to stride forward confidently, ” Dr Mahathir said.
He also spoke of the need to equip the nation’s workforce with skills of the future and continue to collaborate in the new spirit of “coopetition” to face the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
“The willingness of organisations to open doors to others and share best practices will expedite the adoption of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and unlock the benefits that manufacturers can create, ” he said.He said this spirit of collaboration also cuts beyond the confines of the private sector, alluding to the concept of Malaysia Incorporated introduced during his first tenure as the prime minister.
The initiative integrated the private and public sectors under one common objective of developing Malaysia.
“Thus, I firmly believe the concept still applies to this day, and it is more important than ever before for the sectors to work together to achieve the country’s big and ambitious goals, ” Dr Mahathir said.
Due to such collaboration, he said, 100 5G use cases had been identified through the 5G demonstration projects, of which 72 use cases are being undertaken in 56 live 5G sites across Kedah, Kuala Lumpur, Perak, Selangor, Terengganu and Penang.
Earlier, Dr Mahathir visited the sewage treatment plant at Pantai Tengah, where “Advanced Moving Bed Bio-Reactor” (AMBBR) technology was being tested and would undergo trials for two years before it would be introduced to other plants in the country if it is proved effective.
Dr Mahathir, who is also Langkawi MP, said this particular technology was the first of its kind in Malaysia, and if it produced an excellent success rate, the technology could be sold to other interested nations as well.
The RM16.5 million AMBBR pilot project is being undertaken by Kyoto Water Sdn Bhd, he said.
The project, which was completed in 2018, is now in its defect liability period (DLP) before it is expected to be handed over to Indah Water Konsortium Sdn Bhd in June. — Bernama