M360 Asean bridge differences, advance shared digital future - Fahmi

Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil emphasized that M360 Asean can function as a regional forum for governments and industry stakeholders with varying viewpoints to gather, debate, and discover mutual ground to further Asean's digital future. He highlighted Malaysia's unique capability to unite disparate parties, as evidenced by the varied roster of partners and sponsors at the event.

At M360 Asean 2026, Fahmi stressed the importance of civil discourse to find collective solutions amidst the digital transformation unfolding in the region. He expressed optimism about the event's potential to foster collaboration, stating that the partnerships formed would yield shared prosperity for Asean communities. Fahmi elaborated on the ambitious goal of the Asean Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) aiming to elevate the regional digital economy to $2 trillion by 2030, acknowledging that achieving this objective would necessitate overcoming hurdles like fragmented markets, unequal access, and insufficient digital trust.

He underscored that the true success metric would be the practical benefits realized across Asean, asserting that digital inclusion must progress in tandem with stringent safety protocols, with trust emerging as the bedrock for citizens' secure digital engagement and business investments. M360 Asean 2026, orchestrated by the GSMA on September 9-10, convened ministers, regulators, and industry leaders to deliberate on digital trust, artificial intelligence, resilient infrastructure, and regional digital integration.

Organized for the first time in the Asean region and in Malaysia, the event was endorsed by the Communications Ministry, with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) serving as the host partner.