| Rokiah Mahmud |
BRUNEI Darussalam has called for concerted efforts by Asean member countries to curb the menace of cybercrime.
“We must continue to explore ways to address the serious threat that cyber-criminals pose to our governments, by strengthening our defences and cooperating further in order to deal with these common threats,” said Haji Azhar bin Haji Ahmad, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Communications (MinCom), in his speech as guest of honour at the opening ceremony of the 17th Asean Telecommunications and Senior Officials Meeting (TELSOM) at the International Convention Centre in Berakas yesterday.
“Asean is truly one of the most dynamic and diverse regions in the world. The region’s Internet population has doubled in the last five years, with more than 250 million active Internet users and a regional Internet penetration rate of around 40 per cent, spurred mainly by wireless broadband adoption.”
He added that information and communication technology (ICT) has promoted regional integration and brought Asean member countries closer together.
“I believe that we can be proud of what we have achieved so far. But there is still much more work to be done if we are to reach our goal of being a connected, innovative Asean community,” the permanent secretary said.
Therefore, in line with this year’s TELSOM theme, ‘Connected, Innovative Community’, we need to enhance and support efforts in further promoting innovation and creativity which are of great importance to Asean’s aim to become an inter-connected and inter-operable digital economy, he added.
The permanent secretary said he is looking forward to the 2017 Action Plan discussions which will outline for the first time strategic projects and initiatives for realising the Asean Vision 2020.
“ICT is the most fundamental tool we have at our disposal to further strengthening our grouping by facilitating communication, exchange of ideas and to improve bilateral as well as people- to-people relations between all member countries.”
Haji Azhar bin Haji Ahmad, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Communications, in his capacity as the Chairman of the the 17th Asean Telecommunications and Senior Officials Meeting (TELSOM) session delivering a speech yesterday. – PHOTOS: AZROL AZMI
Haji Azhar bin Haji Ahmad, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Communications, in a group photo with the Asean Telecommunications and Senior Officials Meeting (TELSOM) delegates.
He hoped that the 17th TELSOM will be a platform for a lot of discussions aimed at supporting Asean’s regional integration efforts through ICT.
The event will be concluded on Sunday.
The intention to establish the TELSOM was raised in May 2000 following the APEC Ministers of Communications and Information Technology Meeting in Cancun, Mexico. It was at the Cancun meeting that the Asean Ministers and Senior Officials felt it timely to have a regional platform to look into possible initiatives to tackle the wide-ranging issues concerning communications particularly telecommunications and IT.
As a result of that discussion, Asean TELSOM was first held in October 2000 in Brunei Darussalam, followed by the inaugural Asean TELMIN (Telecommunications and IT Ministers) meeting in July 2001, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Both fora come under the ASEAN institutional framework and are assisted fully by the Asean Secretariat.
TELSOM comprises senior telecommunications officials duly designated from each of the 10 Asean member countries and meets at least once a year.
At the 1st TELSOM hosted by the Ministry of Communications, Brunei Darussalam, it was agreed that TELMIN and TELSOM would serve as platforms in responding to the Asean Vision 2020 and the Ha Noi Plan of Action in the following areas of development of telecommunications and information infrastructures: Achieve the interoperability and interconnectivity of National Information Infrastructures (NIIs) of Member States by the year 2010; Develop and implement an Asean Plan of Action on Regional Broadband Interconnectivity; and Intensify cooperation in ensuring seamless roaming of telecommunications services (ie wireless communications) within the region, as well as in facilitating intra-ASEAN trade in telecommunications equipment and services.
TELSOM’s has a wide mandate including: to identify, implement and monitor cooperation programs and activities to meet the telecommunications and IT requirements of the Asean region; to serve as a forum for exchange of information, discussion and consultation on major regional or international issues and developments in telecommunications and IT of common interest to Member Countries; and to provide the mechanism to promote participation of the private sector, regional/international organisations and non-governmental organisations in the development and implementation of its programs and activities.
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