Regional subsea cable projects show cabotage policy tarnishing Malaysia’s tech allure

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MyIX says regional subsea cable projects show cabotage policy tarnishing Malaysia’s tech allure

KUALA LUMPUR, Apr 1 — The Malaysia Internet Exchange (MyIX) said a forthcoming submarine cable project in the South-east Asia region was a lost investment opportunity for Malaysia.

MyIX chairman Chiew Kok Hin told Bernama that the government should reinstate the cabotage exemption for foreign specialised ships to maintain Malaysia’s cable infrastructure, saying global tech giants were otherwise shunning the country.

“It’s a shame as Malaysia has strengths in Internet infrastructure due to our strategic geographical location, ease of access, English-speaking population and relatively lower cost of entry,” Chiew said in a Bernama report yesterday.

He also said the cabotage policy ran counter to Malaysia’s MyDigital framework and must be addressed quickly if the country is to attract more submarine cable investments that were vital to technology firms.

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