PUTRAJAYA (Jan 3): Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the Cabinet has yet to complete its discussions on portfolio and agency reallocations following the Cabinet reshuffle on Dec 12, including which ministry will be the custodian of the 5G infrastructure outfit, Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB).
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim still has “a bit more” to discuss on the matter, which primarily involves the ministries that were separated, said Fahmi.
“For example, for this ministry (Ministry of Communications), the DNB issue (whether it will be placed under the Ministry of Communications or the Ministry of Digital) has yet to be decided and we will [have to] wait for a little more for discussions [to be completed],” Fahmi said during a press conference on Wednesday (Jan 3).
The two ministries were split from the previous Ministry of Communications and Digital, which Fahmi helmed. Gobind Singh Deo has been appointed to lead the Ministry of Digital.
Another ministry that was split up during the Cabinet reshuffle was the Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change, which was previously led by Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad. The ministry has now been dividend into two: the Ministry of Energy Transition and Public Utilities, led by Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Sustainability, which Nik Nazmi now heads.
It was previously announced that agencies that remained under the Ministry of Communications were: the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), Bernama, Institute of Broadcasting and Information Tun Abdul Razak (IPPTAR), the Information Department (JaPen), the Broadcasting Department including RTM, National Film Development Corp (Finas), and MyCreative Ventures.
The Community Communications Department (J-Kom) — formerly under the Prime Minister’s Department — has also been moved to the Minisry of Communications.
Agencies transferred to the Ministry of Digital, meanwhile, included the Malaysia Digital Economy Corp (MDEC), MYNIC, and the Department of Personal Data Protection.
On the 5G network coverage of populated areas (CoPA) in Malaysia, Fahmi said the ministry has yet to receive the latest status update on the network’s implementation, but expects it to come about in “a few days”.
“We expect, God willing, that not too long from now, we will reach 80% CoPA for the 5G network, which will then enable the implementation of the dual network approach,” he added.