Anwar Ibrahim spoke to reporters outside the National Palace after an audience with Malaysia's king in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday. FL WONG AP KUALA LUMPUR Malaysia's newly appointed prime minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Monday that his administration would review a plan for a state-owned 5 G network that was introduced by a previous government, as it was not transparent.
Under the prime ministership of Muhyiddin Yassin in 2021, Malaysia unveiled a plan for a state-owned agency, Digital Nasional Berhad DNB, to own the full 5 G spectrum, with various carriers using the infrastructure to provide mobile services.
The country's major carriers have raised concerns about pricing, transparency and monopoly over the 5 G spectrum, due to the single-ownership of the 5 G spectrum.
Anwar said that the 5 G plans would be evaluated to make sure they followed procedures, alleging that there had been no proper tender process without specifying details.
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Anwar said at a news conference after his first cabinet meeting that it needs to be reviewed because it was not done in a transparent manner.
Malaysia had appointed Swedish telecommunications giant Ericsson as its 5 G development partner last year.
The award of the contract to Ericsson had been transparent, and DNB said it would cooperate with the government's review.
The 5 G rollout will clear the air and allow full execution and implementation of the 5 G rollout for the benefit of the nation, it said in a statement.
Muhyiddin's government previously defended the 5 G plan, saying it would reduce costs, improve efficiency and accelerate infrastructure development.
The budget for 2023 will be revised and improved by the government, Anwar said. The budget was presented in parliament by the previous government, but was not passed due to the general election.
Anwar said that his government will not roll back certain decisions made by the previous administration, but he did not identify them.
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Anwar was appointed by the king last month after the election resulted in an unprecedented hung parliament. Anwar's bloc did not win a simple majority, but he formed a coalition government with the help of other political blocs.
He named his cabinet on Friday, which includes an ally accused of graft as his deputy.
Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, a co-deputy premier, is on trial for 47 counts of bribery, money laundering and criminal breach of trust. He pleaded not guilty.
Anwar said he would not compromise on his pledge to fight corruption despite Ahmad Zahid's appointment.
He said that previous systems allowed leaders to steal and that his cabinet team is determined to follow strict rules and the principles of good governance.