BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN — Enabling legal frameworks and inclusive policies are needed to realise digital transformation in Southeast Asia, Brunei’s Minister of Transport and Infocommunications (MTIC) said on Tuesday.
The “right legislative framework” can help brick-and-mortar businesses transition to e-commerce and provide e-services, said YB Dato Seri Setia Abdul Mutalib POKSSDP Hj Mohammad Yusof.
The minister was speaking during a virtual panel discussion on digital transformation in ASEAN along with his Singapore counterpart, Communications and Information Minister Josephine Teo, at the inaugural Asia Tech x Singapore Summit.
Spanning across four days, the summit gathered governments, global companies and communities to discuss the role of technology in shaping a shared digital future.
Noting that ASEAN members states are at different stages of technology development, YB Dato Abd Mutalib said some Southeast Asian nations do not have data protection laws or are in the midst of drafting regulations.
Policymakers in the region can refer to guidelines such as APEC’s digital transformation framework, he added.
Date of Release: 14 July 2021
July 26, 2021
