Malaysia aims to advance digitalisation in Southeast Asia

Malaysia aims to establish and sign the Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) this year to promote digitalisation across Southeast Asia, according to Sugumari S Shanmugam, Director of the ASEAN Economic Integration Division at Malaysia’s Ministry of Investment, Trade, and Industry (MITI).

Speaking at the ASEAN Economic Opinioin Leaders Conference themed Outlook for 2025, Shanmugam emphasised that ASEAN must address several challenges before finalising DEFA, such as bridging development gaps among member states.

She acknowledged the difficulties in negotiations due to varying levels of development, technical capabilities, and resources among countries. However, she expressed confidence that Malaysia could propose solutions by fostering collaboration and integrating expert recommendations.

Malaysia has hosted several workshops to help ASEAN members better understand the key aspects of DEFA, aiming to expedite its implementation and facilitate the signing of the agreement within the year.

DEFA is positioned as the world’s first regional digital economy agreement. It seeks to drive ASEAN’s digital transformation, enhance opportunities for collaboration with countries outside the region, and achieve sustainable and inclusive growth./.

VNA