Malaysia ranked second in Southeast Asia, behind Singapore, in ASEAN Digital Nations Index, an annual digital-development index published by the mobile-industry body GSMA.
In a statement on Thursday, the GSMA said Malaysia’s ranking reflected strong digital infrastructure, data governance, cybersecurity, AI policy, and the country’s AI Nation 2030 strategy. Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines followed closely, the GSMA said.
Vivek Badrinath, the GSMA’s director general, said the ASEAN had set an ambition of a $2 trillion digital economy by 2030 but needed to turn that into an integrated and interoperable regional market. The governments, mobile operators, and digital platforms must all play a part.
The GSMA pointed to Malaysian operators’ work on digital trust, including a shared number-verification service launched in September 2025 by CelcomDigi, Maxis, U Mobile, Telekom Malaysia, and YTL Communications under its Open Gateway initiative, to help banks and retailers cut fraud. It also cited Axiata’s Boost Bank lending to small businesses and 5G-based rural healthcare projects.
The GSMA released the ranking at its M360 ASEAN 2026 conference in Kuala Lumpur on September 9-10. The event featured Malaysia’s communications minister Fahmi Fadzil, ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn, and telecom executives.
The GSMA is a London-based industry body representing mobile network operators worldwide and the organiser of the MWC and M360 conference series. Its Digital Nations Index ranks countries on their digital development.