“Accelerating Digital Adoption in Malaysia: Making Lives

Better, Making Lives Safer”

By

YB TUAN GOBIND SINGH DEO

Minister of Communications and Multimedia Malaysia

__________________________________________________

Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur

13 November 2018

[Salutations]

1. David Pleasance - Chairman, TM Forum

2. Nik Willetts - CEO, TM Forum

Good morning and Salam Harapan.

1. When I become Minister in May 2018, one of my first

pronouncements was that the Internet should be seen as a

basic right of every citizen of this country. I do not view it as a

privilege, accessible to only those deemed as ‘economically viable’

by those providing the internet service but a rather as a right of every

citizen of this country. It remains the cornerstone of my ministry’s

policy.

2. Why is this important to me? It is because I truly believe that access

to the internet is a fundamental requirement to the way people work,

live and play in the today’s increasingly wired world. More

importantly, access to the Internet changes people’s lives. It saves

lives.

3. Let me give you some examples. In this country, thousands of

people die in road accidents every year. We hear of drivers of public

vehicles, who are responsible for the lives of their passengers,

driving our children, spouses and family while having multiple

summonses or being in a state of intoxication. We express horror

and demand action whenever an accident happens.

4. Yet, we continue down this path when the technology to save ives

is readily available. There is technology that enables one to check

on the history of the driver and alert the authorities; technology that

prevents drivers from driving too fast or in a reckless manner and all

sorts of technology that can prevent the deaths of our loved ones.

5. Another example is precision farming. There are many technologies

out there that use data on weather patterns, soil temperature,

humidity, growth, and other factors that enable farmers to increase

their yield. Information about yield per farmer also enables them

access to credit and loans for them to expand their business.

Research on their yield also leads to better output that leads to

better incomes and livelihoods.

6. I recently read with interest an article in a local online portal which

said and I quote, “.. that University of Malaya and Cancer Research

Malaysia won a UK Medical Research Council grant to develop a

phone app for early detection of oral cancer. Oral cancer is among

the top 5 most common cancers in Asia and for many who live in

rural areas, access to healthcare and treatment is expensive. And

often too late. Cancer Research Malaysia has already developed a

phone app which can capture images of the oral cavity, and these

can then be interpreted remotely by oral medicine specialists,”- end

of quote.

(https://www.malaymail.com/s/1691792/um-and-cancerresearch-

malaysia-win-rm798693-grant-for-phone-app-todetect)

7. Access to technology and the Internet changes lives. It saves lives.

8. That is why I believe access to the Internet and technology is a basic

right. Every person, in urban or rural or remote areas has a right to

access the Internet and technology. Every person should be given

a chance a change his or her life through technology. It is not a

privileged right or a right reserved for the ‘economically viable’. It is

the right of every citizen of this country. This is the pledge of this

government.

https://www.malaymail.com/s/1691792/um-and-cancerresearch-https://www.malaymail.com/s/1691792/um-and-cancerresearch-

9. How does the government intend to accelerate digital adoption?

10. I believe there are 5 building blocks that needs to be place. The five

building blocks are:

i. high-quality, world-class infrastructure at affordable prices

ii. tech talent development iii. increased Cyber Security vigilance

iv. development of platforms and enablers such as Digital ID, open

data and open APIs and

v. legislation, policies and industry structures that support the

growth of the digital economy.

11. Over the last few months I have made announcements with regard

to high-quality, world-class infrastructure at affordable prices. We

have reduced broadband prices for the Malaysian people which in

turn has stimulated higher demand of fixed broadband services.

12. We officially launched the public consultation for the National

Fiberisation and Connectivity Plan (NFCP) in Oct. It is an ambitious

plan to connect the entire country within 3-5 years at world-class

standards – minimum 30 Mbps speeds, gigabit at selected areas at

affordable rates.

13. I look forward to the day when I see longhouses and micro

businesses in the most remote parts of the country connected to the

Internet, allowing everyone to participate in the Digital Economy

effortlessly.

14. My ministry continues to seek ways to develop our tech talent. We

have in place, together with the Ministry of Education, programmes

that emphasise computational think from a very early age. We have

expanded our programmes for primary and secondary schools and

continue to work with our universities to develop programmes that

can provide the talent required for tomorrow’s industries.

15. My ministry is now looking to partner with, on a new and innovative

school for those between the ages of 18-30 who want to deepen

their technological skills. I pledge to leave no one behind. Every

person of any age will be given a chance to participate in the digital

economy.

16. Digital adoption will accelerate when the people feel that the access

to the Internet is safe and secure. As such, Malaysia through my

ministry has been championing the cause of cybersecurity through

cross-border cooperation. Within the country, my ministry and

agencies have begun to deepen our working cooperation with the

Commercial Crimes Division as I feel the serious crimes of the future

will take place in cyberspace.

17. And seeing as this is where the world’s communications service

providers congregate, I reach out to you to leverage on your vast

and valuable networks and resources to formulate and devise a

platform to fight cybercrime. Cybersecurity issues are not purely a

technology issue, and we need all your help to seriously look at

frameworks and best practices for managing cybersecurity-related

risks. As for my ministry, we will strive to be vigilant and ensure that

our strategies, systems, processes and organizations are at the

orefront of combating cybercrime.

18. Data is the ‘fuel’ of the digital economy. Along with other agencies

such as MCMC, MDEC and MAMPU, we are now working hard to

ensure that we have the appropriate platforms and enablers such

as Digital ID, open data and open APIs.

19. As such, I would like to announce here a new initiative by my

ministry together with MAMPU and JPDP to develop an open data

exchange platform. This platform is intended to provide government

data while encouraging the industry to share data.

20. I can’t say it enough. Data changes lives and data saves lives. In

Japan, crowd-sourced data collected from hundreds of sensors

nationwide helped the public monitor radiation from the Fukushima

nuclear plant to reduce risks to food quality. Think of what it can do

to our cancer research project if we have publicly anonymous data;

think of what it can do to our traffic situation if we share traffic data.

21. We also hope that this initiative will stimulate the local tech

community to develop solutions that bring about meaningful

solutions and changes to the Malaysian people. Let the solutions

you create change lives. Let it save lives.

22. And apart from data, my ministry is also working on legislation,

policies and industry structures that will support the growth of the

digital economy.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

23. I have articulated what the government intends to do to increase

digital adoption. But as all of us know, that is only half the story.

24. We need the industry to step up and be a partner to the government.

We need you to evangelize, educate, invest and show the people of

Malaysia as to how widespread digital adoption is not only good but

an absolute necessity in the current world.

25. In many countries around the world, it is industry which leads the

way. Apple and Microsoft, Alibaba or Tencent did not wait for

government grants, incentives or programmes to change the world.

They did it out of a passion to see widespread use of technology in

the daily lives of people. Maybe they did it for profit, maybe they did

it for altruistic reasons. Maybe it was both. Either way, it was the

industry’s passion that changed the world and continues to change

lives.

26. This is the passion that I would like to see from the industry through

digital adoption in Malaysia. A passion to make the lives of

Malaysians better. To make the lives of Malaysians safer.

Thank you for listening. Have a good conference