According to sources, the Cabinet is expected to reach a final decision on this subject by the end of the month. Anwar’s close associates have also revealed that he is receptive to the idea of other technology companies participating in the 5G rollout. The government has reportedly received complaints from Malaysia’s mobile telecommunication operators that their opinions were not considered when the former government, under Muhyiddin Yassin, incorporated DNB to lead the implementation of the 5G infrastructure in March 2021.
Currently, the 5G project has achieved more than a 95 percent rollout in the densely populated urban areas of greater Kuala Lumpur and Penang, and is also ahead of schedule in other suburban and rural areas. Further, DNB officials anticipate that the rollout will be completed before the end of the year and that over 80 percent of the populated areas in the country will be covered.
However, this project has presented a policy dilemma for the Anwar administration. According to the former director of a large Malaysian mobile network, who often advises the government on industry matters, “The new administration wants to show that it can do the (5G) rollout better and cheaper with a minimum cost to the taxpayer. But in a few months, we would not have achieved anything because there are no good options.”
