Malaysia should retain Western and Chinese 5G systems, says MP

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia should retain both Western and Chinese 5G technology pathways to avoid dependence on a single ecosystem, Machang member of parliament Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal said.

Speaking during the Budget 2027 debate in the Dewan Rakyat today, Wan Ahmad Fayhsal said the country's two 5G networks offered strategic flexibility.

Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB) uses Ericsson technology, while U Mobile has selected Huawei.

He said Malaysia could benefit from both Western and Chinese technologies while preserving alternatives for its critical digital infrastructure.

"DNB was established by the Perikatan Nasional government in 2021. Now, we have two pathways, DNB with Ericsson and U Mobile with Huawei," he said.

"This is a good thing because Malaysia can benefit from Western and Eastern technology, as Tambun has stressed before."

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also the Tambun member of parliament, was present in the Dewan Rakyat during the debate.

Wan Ahmad Fayhsal, the Wawasan information chief, said retaining both systems was particularly important as foreign companies assessed whether Malaysia had sufficiently trusted digital infrastructure to support investments in sensitive sectors.

He said discussions with European and other Western ambassadors had highlighted the importance of sovereign digital infrastructure in attracting such investments.

He added that the issue extended beyond telecommunications to investor confidence, infrastructure resilience and digital sovereignty.

Wan Ahmad Fayhsal said the same considerations should apply to the proposed sovereign artificial intelligence (AI) cloud, for which a RM2 billion allocation through the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission was announced under Budget 2026 and reiterated in Budget 2027.

The initiative aims to strengthen the protection of government data, with Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil previously saying work on the project was under way.

Wan Ahmad Fayhsal said Huawei's Ascend 910C chips were being considered for the project, while Telekom Malaysia had been selected to manage it.

"The question is whether the government has carried out a risk assessment on the suppliers who will be used to handle national data.

"How will the government manage sensitivities related to digital sovereignty?" he said.

He said Malaysia should remain open to Chinese technology but ensure that the expansion of Huawei-backed infrastructure did not eliminate meaningful alternatives, particularly in systems handling sensitive national data.

Maintaining both Ericsson-based and Huawei-backed infrastructure, he added, would allow Malaysia to benefit from different technology ecosystems while retaining greater control over its digital future.