KUALA LUMPUR: The concept of 'Malaysia Madani', initiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, can be extended to the ASEAN level to drive regional development, said Minister of Communications and Digital, Fahmi Fadzil.

He said 'ASEAN Madani' could also become a reality if the regional block of 10 countries with a population of over 660 million people could collectively drive the growth of their respective countries.

" 'Malaysia Madani', for me, is a hope and a prayer so that we can manifest a better Malaysia. The concept is also an aspect of the role of our relationship with neighbouring countries.

"Malaysia may not be able to move forward alone, but if we collaborate and work together, (we can) see our strength, (and) how we can drive growth in our respective countries collectively within the framework of ASEAN," he said during a recording session of 'Ruang Bicara' programme on Bernama TV that will be broadcast at 9 pm tonight.

Fahmi, however, admitted that it is a big challenge, considering that each ASEAN country is different.

In facing the challenge of the digital economy to jointly move forward with with ASEAN countries, Fahmi said he and his Singaporean counterpart, Josephine Teo, will hold the Sixth Joint Committee Meeting (JCM) on Information and Communication this Saturday.

He will also meet with ASEAN digital ministers on Feb 9 and 10 in the Philippines.

"So I see that my accompanying the Prime Minister to Singapore the other day, (and) that is the first step; (to be) followed by the meeting on Feb 4, and several other meetings; my wish, and also the ministry's, is that we want to bring in investment.

"This will be able to drive the economic growth of our country, make 'Malaysia Madani' a success, and maybe one day make 'ASEAN Madani' a success," said Fahmi.

'Malaysia Madani', introduced by the Prime Minister on Jan 19,has six policy pillars covering sustainability; well-being; creativity; respect; confidence and courtesy.

-- BERNAMA