Malaysia, 5G network ‘not transparent’, new PM says
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Malaysia, 5G network ‘not transparent’, new PM says

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Malaysia’s plan for a state-owned 5G network has hit a snag as the country’s newly appointed Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said that those plans were not formulated transparently.

The plans came about last year under Muhyiddin Yassin, raising concerns from several operators in the country over pricing and transparency.

The 5G plans led by Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) will be evaluated to ensure they follow procedures, the new Prime Minister said.

“It needs to be reviewed because it was not done in a transparent manner,” Anwar said.

In September, Maxis Bhd and U Mobile said they would not be taking a stake in the government-led programme, threatening to derail the rollout entirely.

However, a month later four operators said they had signed agreements to access the 5G network for 10 years.

The former finance minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz said shortly after that all six telcos had signed the agreements.

The government has insisted throughout the process that a single shared network would reduce costs and improve efficiency for operators.

5G coverage in the country currently stands at just over 30% of populated areas and is on track to achieve the 80% target set by the government by 2024.

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