DOHA — Malaysia has emphasised the need to strengthen cybersecurity and child online protection while ensuring the responsible development and use of artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies.

Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil said trust and safety were essential to enabling people to participate confidently in the digital economy, as technological advancements continued to reshape the way people lived and worked.

He said innovation must be accompanied by appropriate safeguards to protect users and build public confidence in digital technologies.

“The Declaration rightly puts a strong focus on cybersecurity, protecting children online, and ensuring that emerging technologies are developed and used responsibly.

“For Malaysia, innovation must go hand in hand with the right safeguards. This will give people the confidence to make full use of the opportunities that digital technologies offer,” he said at the Ministerial Roundtable held in conjunction with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Plenipotentiary Conference 2026 (PP-26), here today.

Fahmi said Malaysia welcomed the draft Doha Ministerial Declaration, which outlined a comprehensive approach to addressing the opportunities and challenges of digital transformation.

He said the declaration reflected three priorities central to Malaysia’s national digital agenda, which were ensuring meaningful connectivity, promoting digital inclusion and fostering a safe and trusted digital environment.

He said meaningful connectivity must go beyond network coverage to ensure that telecommunications services remain affordable, reliable and resilient in supporting communities and economic activities.