Malaysia aims to establish and sign the Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) this year to promote digitalisation across Southeast Asia. This agreement seeks to drive ASEAN’s digital transformation and achieve sustainable and inclusive growth. DEFA is positioned as the world’s first regional digital economy agreement. It will enhance opportunities for collaboration with countries outside the region.
The agreement’s implementation requires addressing several challenges, including bridging development gaps among member states. Malaysia has hosted several workshops to help ASEAN members better understand DEFA’s key aspects. The goal is to expedite its implementation and facilitate the signing of the agreement within the year .
