KUALA LUMPUR: Downstream connectivity by widening Internet access and enhancing telecommunications structure is one of the focuses of the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), says Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.
The Communications Minister further said that it was the sovereign right of Malaysia on how to roll out its 5G network and no other country should tell the government how it should be done.
Fahmi said that the current dual approach, which Malaysia chose as its rollout model for the 5G network, had shown success with the reach of 80% coverage in the operated areas.
The minister said this at the launch of the International Connectivity Conference and Expo 2025 co-organised by telco provider GSATT and Madani Research Centre here on Wednesday (July 31).
He was asked what the 13MP to be unveiled on Thursday (July 31) would offer Malaysians in terms of connectivity.
The 13MP, which sets the direction for the country's development for 2026 to 2030, is the first by the Madani government under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
“What is clear is that what underpins the 13MP is the Madani economic framework, which we adopt as its guiding principle 'Raising the ceiling and raising the floor’.
“This means that through this five-year plan, we aim to increase national income as well as the income of the people.
“So that becomes our core focus - we will emphasise several industrial sectors that add value and promote value creation, with a focus on rotation and downstream sectors. That is the general idea. But the details will be known once it is tabled tomorrow (July 31),” said Fahmi.
Earlier at the event, in his speech, Fahmi said that Malaysia’s decision to move away from a single rollout approach to a dual rollout approach for 5G was to give the country better leverage globally.
He explained that although there were flaws in the initial single rollout, the government’s shift to a dual rollout was done gradually to ensure the government did not discard what was valuable.
“It took South Korea five years to get to 58% adoption rate within their home country and it was among the first adopters of 5G.
“There were times when I had to meet diplomats who wanted to understand why applications were moving in such a way. I have had to explain that the government is trying to steer a steady course and make sure that we do not throw out the baby with the bathwater.
“Moving to a dual network approach will give Malaysia a better leverage and (economic) opportunities,” said Fahmi.
The Madani government adopted a dual network 5G model to enable full participation from telecommunication companies in the national 5G rollout.
This approach was supposedly to foster healthy competition and enhance the quality of telecommunications services.
Although the government holds a 34.9% stake in Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) along with a golden share, under the shareholders’ agreement, with the transition to the dual network model, Putrajaya will be compensated for relinquishing its stake to telcos that are existing DNB shareholders.
“As a sovereign nation, Malaysia has every right to decide on our domestic policies and it is Malaysia alone which will decide in Malaysia’s direction, especially with regards to connectivity issues,” said Fahmi.
He said that having complete control over connectivity ensures the security of the country and the people’s data, adding that Malaysians think little before putting their personal data online, only to be scammed later.
"Being able to make decisions independently is a matter of sovereignty. It’s very important. Sometimes we forget that.
"I know recently there was a lot of public outcry - especially in the news - about one initiative, which was a mobile phone data collection programme.
"The purpose of that programme was to identify trends without revealing any personally identifiable information.
