This article appeared in The Sun Daily on 20 February 2023.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Communications and Digital (KKD) has submitted its suggestions to the Ministry of Finance (MOF) pertaining to Budget 2023 that will be tabled on Friday (Feb 24).

Minister of Communications and Digital Fahmi Fadzil (pix) said he was hoping for some good news that will be announced for the ministry under the budget, and one of the key initiatives for KKD was to bridge the digital divide, particularly in relation to universal and internet access.

“We hope one of the initiatives that if the Minister of Finance were to be agreeable, will be able to directly affect and improve on this sector,” he told reporters after attending a Concorde Club gathering with veteran journalists and senior editors here, today.

Fahmi said there were about three per cent of populated areas throughout the country with nearly 2,000 site long houses in remote areas, islands and the Orang Asli posts that need to be connected, as well as other aspects to resolve such as network sharing issues.

Budget 2023 is scheduled to be tabled by Prime Minister and Finance Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in the Dewan Rakyat on Feb 24.

Meanwhile, Fahmi hoped discussions and deliberation with regards to the way forward for the 5G rollout and the role of Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) could be brought to the cabinet before end of March.

He said this was to ensure the 5G rollout can be expedited.

“DNB now is under the purview of this ministry and it is my responsibility to make sure that whatever decision we come out with, we will take into consideration all the relevant stakeholders positions, their ideas, their thoughts and concerns, including contractual obligations that have been put in place but we also need to assess what is the way that we can ensure that 5G rollout can be expedited,” he said.

On Jan 24, Fahmi was reported as saying that KKD was expected to announce the introduction and implementation of 5G by DNB with added features by end of March.

According to Fahmi, DNB were currently studying and evaluating the available options to ensure that the implementation will not just achieve an 80 per cent success but will be expanded throughout the country.