Malaysia rises to 15th position globally and third in Asean 2023 ICT Development Index
08 Feb 2024
Malaysia has shown significant progress in information and communication technology (ICT) development in recent years as the government and private sector collaborate to invest in digital technology and infrastructure.
As a result, Malaysia has quickly risen to the 15th position globally and third in the Asean region in the 2023 ICT Development Index (IDI) published by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
For comparison, Malaysia was reported to be in the eighth position in the Asia Pacific Region in the 2015 IDI. Globally, Malaysia was ranked 64th out of 167 economies.
IT analyst Mohd Fazli Azran Abd Malek said this is evidence of the government’s continuous commitment to lead progressive changes in technology innovation and digital transformation, especially in high-speed internet connectivity and other advances in telecommunications technology.
This achievement is also attributed to the establishment of Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB), which offers 5G network services in Malaysia in line with the Malaysia Digital Economy Blueprint (MyDigital), he said.
“This places Malaysia at the forefront of the digital economy by 2030 and ensures the country remains competitive in the era of digitalisation.
“I believe, with the government’s comprehensive support and collaboration from various parties, these factors have contributed to Malaysia’s improved ranking last year,” he told Bernama.
Mohd Fazli Azran, who is also the chief digital innovation officer of Yayasan Digital Malaysia (MyDigital) said the progress achieved will enable the government to implement communication infrastructure plans to foster digital economic growth and help Malaysia produce more technology leaders without relying on external expertise.
Similarly, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Razak Faculty of Technology and Informatics Perdana Centre lecturer Associate Professor Dr. Mazlan Ali said the latest recognition is related to the improvement in digital infrastructure that has been steadily increasing.
Overall, he said, Malaysia’s progress is encouraging for the continued path towards a digital economy, and the government, through the relevant agencies, needs to remain committed to ensuring the communication and multimedia industry remains resilient.
“Despite the political power fluctuations in Malaysia, democracy is good. In fact, our country does not have many digital restrictions as seen in some neighbouring countries.
“So I believe that with continuous investment in infrastructure and policies, Malaysia has the potential to emerge as a major leader in the digital landscape in this region,” he said.
Yesterday, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil announced that Malaysia scored 94.5 out of a total of 100 points, surpassing the global average score of 72.8 points, thus demonstrating outstanding achievements towards achieving universal and meaningful connectivity goals.
The IDI 2023, which measured 10 indicators, reported that Malaysia has, among others, achieved near-universal coverage of 4G or LTE mobile networks, high mobile-broadband subscriptions and affordable prices for mobile and fixed-broadband services as well as high rates of Internet usage, mobile phone ownership and Internet traffic.
Source: Bernama
