From Pulau Banggi to Geneva

The Star

6 days ago

PULAU Banggi is the biggest island that is fully within our country's borders, occupying a land mass larger than the better known Langkawi and Penang islands.
However, it is not as well known as either, as it is located off the northernmost points of mainland Sabah, about 70km from Kudat. Only accessible by ferry or speedboat, it is home to 20,000 residents whose main economy is fishing, oil palm and rubber.
Its remote location is one reason I was elated when the National Information Dissemi­nation Centre (Nadi) Malaysia Digital Inclusion Project was crowned the winner of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Prize 2025, in Geneva, Switzerland, recently.
The victory was achieved through the Malaysian Commu­nications and Multimedia Com­mission's (MCMC) Nadi Pulau Banggi Initiative.
Indeed, the initiative was also named the champion in the 'C4: Capacity Building' category for its success in providing digital literacy, skills training, and economic opportunities to one of Malaysia's most remote island communities.
The island's remote location has limited residents' access to education, healthcare and economic growth, but now the Nadi initiative has established community digital hubs that provide high-speed Internet and ICT training to fishermen, farmers, students and small business owners, equipping them with the skills to succeed in today's digital economy.
It is a project that rapidly transforms the lives of residents, with youth acquiring ICT skills, women starting online micro-businesses, and local entrepreneurs expanding their markets.
It once again reaffirms our firm belief that no one should be left behind in the digital era.
Whether they be in a dense and congested urban centre, an impenetrable jungle or the most remote of islands, we will do our best to connect all Malaysians, as quickly and as efficiently as possible.
As far as I am concerned the award also belongs to the communities who have embraced digital skills for a better future and to all Malaysians – driving our vision of an inclusive connected nation.
As of May 31, we have achieved 82.4% 5G coverage in populated areas and 80.4% adoption rate nationwide.
Sabah is now up to 69% coverage and we will strive to achieve more. We have download speeds of 149 megabits per second and a whopping 27.47 million 5G users.
Nadi is now being expanded to other underserved areas, including Pulau Mandi Darah (in northern Sabah), with plans for nationwide expansion by 2035 through scalable training modules, community hubs, and long-term funding in Sabah and Sarawak.
MCMC's participation in WSIS+20 also signifies support for the efforts of the International Telecommunication Union and demonstrates Malaysia's commitment to all telecommunications and digital initiatives carried out by the UN agency.
Malaysia is among the top 10 countries in the world with the cheapest Internet, and we have the second fastest Internet speed in the Asia-Pacific region after South Korea.
Frankly, we should be proud and yet use these achievements to spur us on.
At the same time, we don't want just faster and cheaper Internet, but we want it to be safer also. That is why we are spearheading the development of the Guidelines for Safe and Respon­sible Use of Social Media Platforms for Asean.
The truth is that if technology is open, without security oversight, it can become a haven for cyber criminals.
Every sovereign nation has regulations ensuring safety and security, which big tech must respect. I also call upon those players who are dragging their feet to adhere to our social media licensing policies.
Our aim is to establish common principles and best practices for governments, platforms, and users to address harmful content while safeguarding freedom of expression.
In this way, we can ensure the Malaysian children of today can have a safe path to becoming digital leaders of tomorrow.
Datuk Fahmi Fadzil is Communications Minister.