KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 24 (Bernama) -- Malaysia will continue its whole-of-ASEAN approach towards finalising the Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) next year, said Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo.
He said that ASEAN member states reached a “substantial conclusion” on DEFA during the recently held 26th ASEAN Economic Community Council (AECC) Meeting in Kuala Lumpur.
“The government, through the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI), aims to conclude negotiations for this agreement (DEFA) next year.
“DEFA is very important as it focuses on how the agreement can help ASEAN expand our regional economy,” he said when winding up the debate on the Supply (Budget) Bill 2026 for the Digital Ministry in the Dewan Rakyat today.
He said DEFA would also ease cross-border transactions among ASEAN member states, providing greater access to the ASEAN market with its population of over 700 million.
“This agreement enables faster cross-border negotiations, ensuring that ASEAN’s economic potential can be realised through a wider, much broader market,” he added.
On Oct 24, MITI Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz said ASEAN is confident it can complete the deliverables needed to finalise DEFA on schedule in 2026, strengthening the region’s role in shaping the global digital economy.
The agreement is expected to drive ASEAN’s digital economy growth to US$1 trillion (RM4.23 trillion) by 2030.
-- BERNAMA
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