M'SIA COMMITTED TO ENSURE BROADBAND ACCESS AS WIDESPREAD AS POSSIBLE

By Vincent Low Seng Guan

SHANGHAI, May 17 (Bernama) -- Malaysia aspires to become a more competitive nation through innovation, high creativity and free flow of information, and will ensure broadband access in the country is as widespread as possible and affordable to the people.

"We are to set up broadband centres, additional towers and infrastructure as
well as boosting PC ownership to drive home social and economic transformation
besides achieving the New Economic Model and the objective of becoming a high
income nation by the year 2020."

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak said this in his
International Telecommincation Union (ITU) Laureate acceptance speech read out
by Information Communication and Culture Minister Dr Rais Yatim at
the Shanghai Expo.

The awards ceremony was in conjunction with the World Telecommunication and
Information Society Day today.

This year's award focuses on eminent personalities who have contributed to
using ICTs in providing a better life in cities.

Other recipients of the awards include China Mobile Chairman and CEO Wang
Jianzhou and Corporation for National Research Initiatives President and CEO
Robert Kahn.

Najib was awarded for his contributions in ICT, which include making
connectivity one of his priorities. As part of the New Economic Model for
Malaysia, he has placed a high priority on strengthening ICT infrastructure.

His administration has supported the work of ITU in strengthening global
cybersecurity through the IMPACT Centre in Cyberjaya near Kuala Lumpur.

-- BERNAMA