Malaysia's Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil (right) meeting with UAE Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Application Omar Sultan Al Olama (left) on the sidelines of the Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX) Global 2023 here on Monday (Oct 17). - Photo: Bernama
DUBAI: Malaysia’s position as a preferred destination for data centre development is likely to continue growing, driven by the country’s strategic location, infrastructure, stability, and the government’s support, says Fahmi Fadzil.
As data continues to play an increasingly critical role in the digital age, the Communications and Digital Minister said the government’s support not only encourages foreign investments but also underscores the nation's commitment to fostering innovation and technological advancements.
"The country's political stability and well-established legal framework such as the New Industrial Master Plan 2030 creates a secure environment, further bolstering its appeal for data centre investments,” he said at the C-Suite Roundtable Session with Investors of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) region.
The roundtable session was held on the sidelines of the Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX) Global 2023, here.
In line with the mission, Fahmi said Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) would play a pivotal role to enhance collaboration between corporations and reposition Malaysia as the stepping zone to become the gateway for the rest of Asean countries in digital economy.
"We in Malaysia are looking forward to collaborate in any field related to digital economy and we see strong and exciting growth in data centres and cloud centres with a lot of major potential investments.
"Malaysia is not only open for businesses but it will also facilitate your (investors’) business. My role is to facilitate, accelerate and assure that Malaysia could be your partner, and more importantly, be your home,” he said.
The roundtable discussion was attended by 33 delegates from Russia, the United States, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), India, Singapore, Belarus, and Spain.
After the roundtable discussion, Fahmi paid a courtesy call on UAE Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Application Omar Sultan Al Olama to discuss further on the digital initiatives.
He said Malaysia is willing to collaborate with the UAE in data protection, with a particular focus on ensuring that artificial intelligence’s technological advancements align with personal data privacy and protection legislation and guidelines, such as the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2018.
The 15-minute discussion between both ministers, among others, discussed the potential trade collaboration between both countries in digital economy and data centre.
He said the UAE and Malaysia complement each other in terms of bridging the digital economy infrastructures in both countries.
Fahmi also invited Omar to visit Malaysia to get a better experience on the digital growth in the country and work on the potential collaboration.
On the sidelines of the bilateral meeting, Omar also shared his fond memories of celebrating his 10th birthday at Sunway Lagoon in Subang Jaya, Selangor, in 2000. - Bernama
