AS a sovereign country, Malaysia has the right to determine its own policies on infrastructure development without being dictated to by other parties, said Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil.

He said this today when commenting on media reports that the European Union and the United States had warned Malaysia about risks to national security if it allowed Huawei equipment to be used for the country’s 5G rollout.

He said any decision taken by the government will be aimed at benefiting the people, driving economic growth and creating a harmonious situation amid international issues.

Fahmi said he will meet foreign ambassadors to clarify the Malaysian’s 5G rollout decisions.

“I believe the meeting will enable the parties concerned to understand Malaysia’s stand,” he told a press conference in Putrajaya.

The warning, issued to the Malaysian government in April, claimed the usage of Huawei equipment would not only pose risks to national security but also to foreign investments in Malaysia.

Huawei is among the companies bidding to supply equipment to Malaysia after the government proposed a review of an RM11 billion contract given to Ericsson for the implementation of the 5G network by Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB).

Fahmi announced today that the government had decided to implement a dual 5G network once the current rollout under DNB had reached 80% of populated areas by the end of 2023. – Bernama, May 3, 2023.