MALAYSIA TO HOST ASEAN ROUND TABLE MEETING IN 2025 FOCUSING ON ONLINE SERVICE LICENSING

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 21 (Bernama) -- Malaysia will host a roundtable meeting on online service licensing among ASEAN member countries in January next year (2025).

The Secretary-General of the Ministry of Communications, Datuk Mohamad Fauzi Md Isa, announced that the decision was made during the 21st ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting Responsible For Information (21st SOMRI), which took place in Ha Long, Vietnam, on Wednesday.

This follows a presentation by the Ministry, through the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), of a paper titled “Proposal to Hold a Roundtable Meeting to Explore Perspectives on Licensing Online Services Operating on Social Media Platforms and Messaging Apps within ASEAN Member States” during the meeting.

“ASEAN member countries have unanimously agreed and welcomed the MCMC's proposal to hold a roundtable meeting in Kuala Lumpur in January 2025," he said in a post on his personal Facebook page.

“The roundtable meeting will provide a platform to share perspectives, experiences, and challenges related to the licensing of online services among ASEAN Member States," said Mohamad Fauzi.

He noted that the outcomes of the roundtable meeting would be included in the ASEAN Social Media Guidelines, which have been proposed by Malaysia to enhance online regulation and governance.

Meanwhile, Mohamad Fauzi also said that during the 21st SOMRI meeting, he has shared Malaysia's efforts to transform the media in line with ASEAN's AMRI Vision 2035 and the Da Nang Declaration.

"Three main goals outlined by Malaysia are to promote technology for media transformation and accessibility, combat fake information, enhance media resilience, and ensure inclusivity for all communities." he added.

He stated that the three key initiatives emphasised were AI-based digital and communication services along with social media engagement, digital literacy programmes to combat fake information, and inclusive media content, particularly for underrepresented groups.

Mohamad Fauzi said that Malaysia also emphasised future directions, such as collaborating with ASEAN dialogue partners to create diverse content, strengthening social media regulations to ensure transparency, and enhancing the capacity of broadcasters to showcase ASEAN's cultural diversity.

"I am confident that with collaborative efforts, we can collectively create a more inclusive ASEAN," he said.

-- BERNAMA