Malaysia has ranked second in Southeast Asia in the GSMA’s Digital Nations ASEAN 2026 report. It placed behind Singapore and ahead of Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines. The findings were released at the closing of M360 ASEAN 2026 in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia’s Minister of Communications, Fahmi Fadzil, opened the event alongside ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn and GSMA Director General Vivek Badrinath.
The ranking reflects Malaysia’s digital infrastructure, data governance and cybersecurity preparedness. The GSMA also cited the country’s AI Nation 2030 strategy as a key driver of its progress.
Digital trust was another major factor. In September 2025, CelcomDigi, Maxis, U Mobile, Telekom Malaysia and YTL Communications launched a shared number-verification service under the GSMA’s Open Gateway initiative. The service allows banks and retailers to check a customer’s phone number against real-time network data, providing an alternative to SMS one-time passwords amid concerns over fraud risks.
The GSMA also highlighted Boost Bank’s lending to small businesses and 5G-enabled rural healthcare projects.
Badrinath said ASEAN had built the foundations for its digital economy. He argued that the region now needed to turn that ambition into action by connecting national strategies and making digital services more interoperable. ASEAN is targeting a $2 trillion digital economy by 2030.
The event also featured the Digital Nation Awards and Women Digital Leadership Awards, recognising contributions across the region’s mobile and technology ecosystem.
