Malaysia and Timor Leste reportedly signed two MoUs to cooperate on telecoms and media development just before Timor Leste officially became a member of ASEAN on Sunday, while also revealing that data roaming services have been activated between the two countries.
According to the official Bernama news agency, Malaysia’s Ministry of Communications and Timor-Leste’s Transport and Communications Ministry signed an MoU on Saturday that “highlights the shared commitment to strengthening telecommunications infrastructure, enhancing digital connectivity, and promoting the exchange of technical knowledge for the benefit of both nations.”
Malaysia’s Communications Ministry also signed an MoU with Timor-Leste’s State Secretariat for Social Communication to encourage collaboration between media organisations of both countries via information exchange, news sharing and capacity-building initiatives.
According to news site Malaysian Reserve, Malaysian communications minister Fahmi Fadzil revealed during the signing ceremony that Malaysian telcos CelcomDigi, Maxis, Telekom Malaysia, U Mobile and YTL Communications had already activated roaming services with Timor Leste’s three main mobile operators – Telin's Telkomcel, Viettel-owned Telemor and Timor Telecom.
The roaming arrangements were facilitated through close cooperation between the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and Timor-Leste’s National Communications Authority (ANC), the report said.
Bernama reports that CelcomDigi, Maxis, Telekom Malaysia and U Mobile had activated roaming with Timor Leste on October 17, while YTL Communications followed suit on October 24.
Timor Leste became the 11th member of ASEAN on Sunday at the bloc’s 47th annual summit in Kuala Lumpur, 14 years after it first applied for membership in 2011. ASEAN granted the country observer status in 2022 in preparation for a pathway to full membership. Malaysia – which currently serves as the 2025 ASEAN Chair – was among the first countries to officially recognise Timor-Leste’s independence in 2002.
“Timor-Leste’s accession to ASEAN represents the realisation of the nation’s long-standing vision to stand shoulder to shoulder with our regional neighbours as equal partners in building a stronger, more inclusive and resilient Southeast Asia,” said Timor Leste prime minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao in a statement.
According to Reuters, Timor Leste, home to 1.4 million people, is one of the poorest nations in the Asia-Pacific, with a GDP of around US$2 billion – a drop in the bucket compared to ASEAN's collective GDP of $3.8 trillion.
