SINGAPORE, June 18 (Bernama) -- Malaysia is a model country for its success in closing the digital divide among the people, said Communication and Multimedia Minister, Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek.
"For me, we can be proud when compared to other countries as Malaysia has its own success stories in connecting the people through broadband, Internet and so on where our penetration rate from the mobile aspect is more than its population.
"Our success on broadband coverage which is more than 60 per cent when compared with similar countries with widely scattered urban and rural areas, is something we can be proud of," he told reporters after launching the Malaysian Pavillion at the Infocomm Media Business Exchange (imbx) exhibition which began today at the Marina Bay Sands Convention and Expo Centre here.
Earlier, the minister and Brunei's Communications Minister Pehin Dato Abdullah Bakar had witnessed the signing of a bilateral cooperation agreement between the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and Brunei's authority on Information Communications Technology Industry.
Also present was Singapore's Communications and Information Minister, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim
Ahmad Shabery did not deny that there were more advanced countries such as South Korea and Singapore on the same matter.
"(South) Korea is more advanced as most of its population are in urban areas and similarly with Singapore.
'But in the context of a country with scattered urban and rural areas, Malaysia is a model country as many here are keen to learn how the government implemented wireless villages to close the digital divide among the people," he said.
To implement the broadband programme, Ahmad Shabery said there should be no control on Internet content.
"This is one commitment in our broadband and open-sky policies for the benefit of all strata of society," he added.
Malaysian companies are involved in the exhibition include Celcom, DiGi, Measat, PIKOM, RedTone, TM Time Global, Time Global Transit,U-Mobile and Maxis.
They are among more 2,000 companies from 56 countries and regions participating in the exhibition which is expected to attract 50,000 visitors.