Malaysia digital ID deadline looms, pressure on to resolve delays

Malaysia’s digital minister has addressed the ongoing delay in rolling out the country’s MyDigital ID initiative and second 5G network.

“There have been various issues, and [the two initiatives] involve multiple ministries,” minister Gobind Singh Deo told reporters, as quoted by Free Malaysia Today.

The digital minister said he hopes the issues can be resolved by the next National Council of Digital Economy and Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR4.0) meeting, which starts February 12.

The minister is under pressure to respond to the delays in implementing the initiatives which are seen as crucial to Malaysia’s digital transformation. The delay has been such that the country’s top leader, prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, was unrestrained in voicing frustration over the slow progress. “This has caused me to lose some patience,” Anwar told the ministry of finance’s monthly assembly last month.

“These delays reflect negligence,” he said, at another meeting. “How can we advance towards AI when the basic [digital infrastructure] that should have been established is still unfinished?” The prime minister later apologized for his “overreaction” and sharp criticisms.

Anwar did however set a mid-December deadline to resolve the delays, but this appears not to have been met. At a press conference yesterday, the digital minister said a “long explanation” would be needed when he was prompted by reporters to elaborate on the challenges being faced.

“It is something that we are focused on and will do our utmost level best to solve it as soon as possible,” he said, as quoted by The Star.

The delays involve a dual 5G network initiative, which is reportedly over contractual difficulties, and the slow registration rate to MyDigital ID. With Malaysia counting around 23 million adults, MyDigital ID registrations numbered 1.319 million as of early last month. MyDigital ID is a national digital identification system that is supposed to underpin Malaysia’s DPI and digital transformation.

Digital ministry seeks MSME entrepreneurs’ thoughts on technology

Digital minister Gobind Singh Deo has addressed the large number of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in the country, from which the ministry is seeking feedback in the first months of this year on the Malaysia Digital Tour initiative.

“For your information, 97 percent of enterprises in this country are MSME-oriented, which is a significant number,” he said, as reported by Bernama. “However, it is concerning that many entrepreneurs are still reluctant to embrace technology to empower their businesses.”

“Therefore, I believe that with the cooperation of all parties, including state governments, this tour will help us understand the challenges faced and enable us to propose solutions to assist MSME entrepreneurs,” he continued.

Article Topics

digital economy  |  digital government  |  digital ID  |  digital identity  |  Malaysia