ASEAN mulls ways to transform into cyber-region

ASEAN mulls ways to transform into cyber-region

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Senior officials Wednesday began a two-day
meeting on ways to prepare Southeast Asia for the knowledge
economy.

The meeting will precede the first meeting on Friday of
telecommunications ministers from the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Talks will focus on developing infrastructure for telecoms and
information technology in the region, said a senior official at
Malaysia's Energy, Communications and Multimedia Ministry.

"As the stage of development varies for ASEAN members, we will
see how we can help weaker countries such as Cambodia, Laos and
Myanmar through private-sector initiatives," he told AFP.

Officials will also discuss efforts to create a skilled
workforce to cope with the transition to the knowledge-based era.

Talks would also center on the digital divide in the region
and how to improve the rate of IT literacy, he added.

ASEAN telecoms senior officials first met in Brunei last
October.

A Malaysian delegate said the meeting was likely to discuss a
proposed "mutual recognition agreement" (MRA) on product
certification. For example, he said products tested in Malaysia
and exported to Singapore would not have to be certified again in
Singapore.

"I think everybody will endorse plans for MRA and set a date
for when they are ready to implement this," he added.

According to a Malaysian ministry statement, ministers will
Friday sign an agreement on ASEAN cooperation in telecoms and IT.

The document formalizes the establishment of the ASEAN
telecoms ministers and senior officials forums and identifies
broad areas of cooperation, it said.

"Among the critical areas are infrastructure development,
trade and investment, harmonization of telecommunications and IT
policies, content development and public-private sector
collaboration," it added.

Idros Abdul Hamid, an officer with the Jakarta-based ASEAN
secretariat, said it would engage a professional consultant next
week to assess the readiness of member countries to embrace IT
and to study investment opportunities and the digital divide.

A report would be presented at the ASEAN summit in Brunei in
November.

Idros said around 20 private-sector led projects have been
initiated over the past two years, including the creation of a
"virtual marketplace" for farmers and an e-ASEAN tourism portal.