BAKU (Azerbaijan): Malaysia is looking at avenues for cooperation with India and Iran in the telecommunications sector, particularly involving online safety, says Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.
He said the matter was discussed during bilateral meetings with his counterparts, namely Dr Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani from India, and Iran’s Sattar Hashemi, on the sidelines of the World Telecommunication Development Conference 2025 (WTDC-25) here on Monday (Nov 17).
"I see that my counterparts (from India and Iran), with their experience in telecommunications issues in their respective countries, offer several opportunities that we could explore for cooperation with both countries.
"This includes their experience in overcoming scam issues, online security concerns as well as several telecommunications applications that can benefit the people,” he told reporters after the meeting.
The meeting was also attended by the Senior Adviser on International Affairs to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), Tan Sri Mohd Annuar Zaini, MCMC Deputy Managing Director Datuk Zulkarnain Mohd Yasin and Secretary of the Communications Technology Division, Communications Ministry, Ahmad Norhad Zahari.
According to Fahmi, Malaysia’s good relations with India and Iran will be utilised to develop the telecommunications sector, in line with the nation’s aspirations to strengthen digital infrastructure and online security.
He said a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Iran in the telecommunications field was expected to be finalised soon.
"It (MoU) is currently being reviewed by the ministry, and I believe that in the near future, we will be ready to sign an MoU with Iran.
"I believe it is quite interesting for us to understand the unique circumstances faced by a country like Iran,” he said.
In addition to cooperation opportunities, Fahmi also informed both counterparts of Malaysia’s intention to defend its seat on the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Council in the election scheduled for November 2026.
"Malaysia’s experience on the ITU Council has given us the opportunity not only to voice views on matters involving standards, specifications, telecommunications, 5G and so on, but also to share our experience managing issues such as internet access in rural and remote areas through programmes like the National Digital Network (Jendela),” he said. - Bernama
