Annuar to make Malaysia-Indonesia telecommunication cooperation more dynamic

He said the scope of cooperation that could be expanded includes 5G technology, satellite services, undersea cables, cyber security, digital economy and content development.

"This meeting is very important because it marks a new beginning which we hope will make it (cooperation) more dynamic and current," he told Bernama after making a courtesy call to his Indonesian counterpart Johnny Gerrard Plate today.

According to Annuar, the two countries had forged close ties in various areas of telecommunications via a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which was signed between the Malaysian Information Ministry and Indonesia's Information Department on July 13, 1984.

"We have a written MoU spelling out the scope and fields of cooperation but subsequently we somewhat lost a bit of focus following political changes in Indonesia and Malaysia.

"Many matters were focused on domestic issues and that is why my visit is aimed at renewing discussions with minister Johnny and reviving the cooperation network," he said.

Annuar also wants the cooperation between Radio Televisyen Malaysia and Televisi Republik Indonesia to be renewed through news material and content exchange.

At the meeting, he invited his counterpart to attend the National Journalists Day (HAWANA) celebration, which is expected to be held from May 26 to 29 in Melaka.

At the Malaysian Journalists Night 2021 awards presentation on Nov 30 last year, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that the government had recognised May 29 as National Journalists Day.

Annuar is in Jakarta to virtually participate in Indonesia's National Press Day (HPN) 2020 celebrations in Kendari, Sulawesi Tenggara, on Wednesday, which were graced by President Joko Widodo.

He was accompanied by the charge d'affaires of the Malaysian embassy in Indonesia, Adlan Mohd Shaffieq, and Communications and Multimedia Ministry deputy secretary-general (Strategic Communication and Creative Industry) Mastura Ahmad Mustafa.

Also present were Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) chairman Senator Datuk Ras Adiba Radzi, Ikatan Setiakawan Wartawan Malaysia-Indonesia (ISWAMI) Malaysia president Datuk Mokhtar Hussain, Bernama deputy editor-in-chief (Business and Finance) Roslan Ariffin and Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission chairman Dr Fadhlullah Suhami Abdul Malek.