Malaysia’s digitisation efforts are set to receive a boost from Huawei Technologies as the telecom company aims to make the country into an ASEAN digital hub.

Huawei presented its newly upgraded Huawei Customer Solution Innovation Centre (CSIC) as part of the firm’s 20th anniversary celebrations since entering the Malaysian market.

The Centre was designed to accelerate the transformation of the digital economy in Malaysia.

Prime Minister of Malaysia, Ismail Sabri Yaakob highlighted Huawei’s efforts to reinforce the country’s digital transformation, and thanked the firm for hiring local talent and promoting digital inclusivity.

In addition, Huawei Malaysia Chief Executive Officer Michael Yuan said the pandemic has underscored the importance of a strong digital infrastructure and the need for more cooperation.

"We need each other and we have realised that global integration and economies of scale can make the whole world more efficient,” he said.

"We applaud the government's proactive approaches towards transforming the nation into a high-income country by leveraging technology and digitalisation. It is our belief that a better-connected Malaysia will have a prosperous future.”

Some of the business-to-business solutions on show at the CSIC were Huawei’s 5G solutions around the world, such as those for Smart Cities and self-driving vehicles, as well as Huawei’s Smart Education system.

Another highlight was cloud computing. Huawei is collaborating with Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM) on their Alpha Edge, providing cloud and AI infrastructure and services to businesses and government institutions, ensuring data sovereignty.

There were also network infrastructure devices using cutting-edge 5G tech advances showcased, as well as Huawei's RuralStar, which overcomes the challenges of connecting in remote areas.

Digital cooperation continues to be a key point between China and ASEAN members, “including Malaysia with leaders emphasising such cooperation at the recently concluded summit to mark the 30th anniversary of establishment of the China-ASEAN dialogue relations,” says a china.org report.