PM says the country is on track to commercially roll out 5G in 3Q20 in efforts to boost economy and share prosperity with the people

by BERNAMA / pic by BERNAMA

PRIME Minister (PM) Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the concept of Malaysia Inc, which integrates the private and public sectors into one common objective, is now more important than ever to achieve the country’s big and ambitious goals.

In his speech at the launch of 5G Demonstration Projects in Langkawi last night, Dr Mahathir said the concept introduced by him during his first stint as the PM still applies to this day.

“Because of such collaboration, I am pleased to see that through the 5G Demonstration Projects, we have identified 100 use cases, of which today we have 72 5G use cases in 56 Live 5G sites across six states that include Kedah, Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory, Perak, Selangor, Terengganu and Penang,” he said.

Dr Mahathir said in this fast-paced and high-octane world, the country needed to be agile as change is a daily constant. “If we remain stagnant, we will not be able to compete in the global economy.”

The PM said since he launched the “5G Malaysia Showcase” in April 2019, preparations to deploy 5G had been progressing well and set for commercial rollout in the third quarter of 2020 (3Q20).

“This marks a significant beginning in our nation’s journey towards strengthening our economy to achieve sustainable growth and share the prosperity we gain with our people and ensure that we achieve our target of providing every single citizen in this nation a decent standard of living by 2030.”

Dr Mahathir added that Malaysia risks being left behind if the country does not change as well.

“From the rise of smartphones in 2007 that changed the way we live, to the growth of shale oil in 2014 that triggered one of the largest oil price shocks in history, and to the mighty rise of numerous tech brands like Google LLC, Apple Inc, Facebook Inc, Amazon.com Inc, Netflix and Huawei Technologies Co Ltd.

“The common denominator was technology,” he elaborated.

Hence, he said the convergence of 5G and different industrial sectors such as agriculture, education, healthcare, manufacturing, smart transportation and tourism presented new opportunities for industries, society and individuals to advance their digital ambition and deliver new and better services.

In developing countries, manufacturing continues to be the avenue from subsistence agriculture to rising incomes and living standards.

Similarly, the manufacturing sector has played a key role in turning Malaysia into a major player in the global value chain, he said. For the past five years, the manufacturing industry contributed 22% to the country’s GDP.

“Therefore, as the Fourth Industrial Revolution engulfs us, the question we must ask ourselves is — are we ready for it? How do we leverage this transformative technology to enhance productivity and growth?” — Bernama