Kuala lumpur: Malaysia has committed to supporting Palestine's reconstruction, particularly in the area of digital infrastructure and sharing its experience in telecommunications with South Africa.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil discussed these commitments during a meeting with the Deputy Minister of Telecommunications and Digital Economy for Palestine, Huda Al-Wahidi, and the Deputy Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies of South Africa, Mondli Gungubele. The meeting, held on the sidelines of the World Telecommunication Development Conference 2025 (WTDC-25), focused on issues such as connectivity in Palestine, especially in Gaza, and mechanisms by which Malaysia can assist.
Fahmi indicated that he would present several findings to the Cabinet for further discussion with the Prime Minister and Wisma Putra, ensuring that the support offered is not solely technical. Additionally, Palestine plans to submit a special motion to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) about redefining connectivity, which Malaysia is prepared to support.
The discussions were described as highly meaningful, with Fahmi announcing Malaysia's intention to offer scholarships to five Palestinian citizens in network and radio engineering fields. This initiative aims to aid in rebuilding Palestinian communication networks, which have suffered due to bombings, especially in Gaza.
In a separate meeting with Gungubele, discussions included the state visit of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa for the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits, and potential collaborations in the telecommunications sector. Malaysia's rapid 5G rollout and affordable internet provision were highlighted as impressive achievements that could be shared with South Africa.
The meetings were also attended by the Malaysian Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Ahmad Kamrizamil Mohd Riza; Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission deputy managing director (Regulatory and Corporate) Datuk Zurkarnain Mohd Yasin, and Ministry of Communications' Communications Technology Division secretary, Ahmad Norhad Zahari.