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KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia has been chosen to sit in the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Council for 2023-2026 at the ITU 2022 Plenipotentiary Conference (ITU PP22) in Bucharest, Romania today.
Malaysia collected 147 of 180 votes cast and was placed in the top five among 13 countries vying for a place to represent the Asian and Australasia zone in the post.
Communications and Multimedia Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa, who headed the Malaysian delegation, described the win as an honour for Malaysia as a leader in telecommunication and digital economy in Southeast Asia.
He said the country has influential industry players on the global stage and the government is also committed to forging strong bilateral ties with ITU member countries.
“The victory reflects the recognition of Malaysia by ITU and its member countries of the nation’s cooperation in the field of telecommunication and the global digital economy,” he said in a statement uploaded on his Facebook page today.
Annuar said he was also optimistic the recognition could further enhance the country’s development in telecommunications and the digital economy, in line with the Malaysia Digital Economy Blueprint, besides protecting the country’s interests in global issues relating to the digital divide and cybersecurity.
Commenting further, Annuar said the success was the result of the efforts of the Communications and Multimedia Ministry, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, and Foreign Ministry in seeking support at international level.
He also recorded his appreciation to all member countries, strategic partners, and telecommunication network providers in Malaysia.
“Malaysia became a member of ITU in 1958 and has been involved in various activities. In fact, we are also committed to supporting the ITU’s aspiration to create better connectivity, which can bring benefits in terms of digital innovation to the global community and Keluarga Malaysia,” he said.
According to him, Malaysia hopes as a responsible and committed member of the council to continue cooperating with ITU and other member countries in their mission to create an informative community in line with their sustainable development goals.
Apart from that, the government and private sector is also focused on regulating broadband, network security, and information technology and communication services at the international level as well.
Malaysia participated in ITU PP22, which was attended by more than 180 countries from September 26 to October 14. – Bernama, October 3, 2022