KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is strengthening its digital governance framework to ensure technological advancements remain secure, resilient and trusted, while balancing innovation with greater accountability, Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil said today.
He said the country’s efforts are reflected through initiatives such as the National Digital Network Plan, the nationwide 5G rollout, investments in submarine cable infrastructure and the implementation of the Online Safety Act 2025 (Onsa), aimed at fostering a safer and more trusted digital ecosystem.
“Trust has become the defining challenge of the next digital era. Can citizens trust the platforms they use, the information they consume and the digital systems that increasingly shape their daily lives?
“Technology has evolved far more rapidly than many of the frameworks designed to govern it,” he said when officiating the two-day International Regulators Conference 2026 (IRC 2026) here.
Fahmi said regulation must evolve alongside technology through governance frameworks that are agile enough to respond to rapid changes, while remaining proportionate to encourage innovation and provide certainty for the industry.
He said Onsa marked a shift from responding to online harm towards preventing it by strengthening platform accountability and enhancing protection for children and vulnerable communities.
Meanwhile, Fahmi said IRC 2026, themed “Shaping the Next Digital Era: Regulation, Resilience and Trust”, provides a platform for regulators, policymakers, industry leaders and academics to address key issues affecting the global digital ecosystem.
He said discussions over the two days will cover online safety, data governance, artificial intelligence, quantum communications, autonomous systems and the future of regulation, to translate dialogue into practical policy outcomes and stronger international cooperation.
At a press conference later, Fahmi said the IRC, now in its third year, was introduced when Malaysia transitioned from a single wholesale network to a dual network model for its 5G rollout, attracting interest from international regulators keen to understand the country’s experience.
He said the IRC has since evolved into a platform for regulators from different jurisdictions to exchange views on digital governance and explore ways to address online harms through greater international cooperation.
“The experience that we can draw from neighbouring countries and those further afield is very important for us to identify gaps in our laws and the measures that we may need to take domestically,” he said.
Fahmi also expressed hope that discussions during the conference would lead to concrete follow-up actions not only in Malaysia but also in other countries, adding that the outcomes would be shared with the International Telecommunication Union), of which Malaysia is a council member.
IRC 2026, hosted by the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), is a global platform bringing together regulators, industry leaders and experts.
The focus will be on the digital economy and regulatory matters within the communications and multimedia sector, positioning Malaysia as a leader in global telecommunications policy and reinforcing MCMC’s role in international regulatory discussions.
