Malaysia is certainly moving to emerge as a smart nation, but achieving the objective will not be cheap.

Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek said a smart nation where the usage of the information technology (IT) among the people was high, required various types of facilities and related infrastructure.

"How do we get there and become a truly smart nation? Smart school, smart capital, smart town, smart city, everything that is smart. How do we make a decision to communicate with one another.

"We ask when Malaysia will reach the direction (of becoming a smart nation). People ask why the internet is slow... that's the issue that concerns everybody. Schools, universities if possible we want them to be free of charge. (But) everything is not cheap," he said.

He said this when handling a cluster session entitled 'A Hyperconnected World: Challenges to Leadership and Perception Building' in conjunction with 'the Third National Aspiration and Leadership Symposium' at the Putra World Trade Centre here Saturday.

Ahmad Shabery said to become a smart nation, Malaysia needed various forms of related infrastructure such as high-speed internet cable, satellite technology and database.

He said all these needed substantial expenditure, whereas the nation had to distribute the national revenue in a balanced manner for other development such as the construction of hospitals, schools and so on.

"Some people say that access to the broadband must be free of charge, but who should be paying? Because all these require the construction of towers, cables and so on. It's not cheap," he said.

Besides the infrastructure, Ahmad Shabery also emphasised on the need for experts in the field of information technology to overcome issues that might crop up as well as certain laws to protect the people in a smart nation.