Timor-Leste participates in Ministers-Regulators Roundtable Meeting in Kuala Lumpur
DÍLI, 10 September 2026 (TATOLI) – The Timor-Leste delegation, led by the Minister of Transport and Communications, Miguel Marques Gonçalves Manetelu, accompanied by the President of the National Communications Authority (ANC, I.P.), Flávio Cardoso Neves, participated in the Ministers-Regulators Roundtable Meeting (MRRM 2026), held at the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The MRRM 2026 was organised in partnership between the Ministry of Communications and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and chaired by the Malaysian Minister of Communications, YB Dato’ Seri Ahmad Fahmi bin Mohamed Fadzil. The meeting brought together ministers, regulators, policymakers and international partners to share experiences and discuss policies and regulations concerning digital safety, platform responsibility and regional cooperation.
The meeting focused particularly on online safety, the protection of children in the digital environment, social media platform responsibility, and cross-border regulatory cooperation. Participants exchanged experiences on age-verification mechanisms, age restrictions for social media use, regulation of global platforms, and ways to ensure that users, particularly children and young people, can access a safe digital environment.
The meeting also provided an opportunity for members to discuss platform responsibility and regulatory enforcement, including the implementation of Malaysia’s Online Safety Act 2025, and the need to strengthen international and regional cooperation in responding to digital challenges that cross national borders.
In his intervention, Minister Manetelu emphasised that Timor-Leste supports efforts to strengthen online safety and develop a secure and trusted digital environment. He also raised concerns about the difficulties faced by smaller countries when seeking to coordinate with global digital platforms such as Google, Meta, TikTok and other platforms, particularly where they do not have direct representation in Timor-Leste.
“Timor-Leste’s challenge is not only about regulation or policy. A major challenge is how to establish effective coordination with global platforms such as Google, Meta and TikTok when problems arise. Timor-Leste can develop good laws and policies, but effective implementation and enforcement require cooperation with these platforms.”
Minister Manetelu stated that physical representation does not necessarily have to be established in Timor-Leste, but global platforms could consider establishing a regional focal point, including through representation or a specific mechanism in Singapore, to facilitate communication with smaller countries in ASEAN and the Pacific.
“We do not necessarily need physical representation in Timor-Leste. However, we need a focal point that can address the concerns of smaller countries, particularly in ASEAN and the Pacific. This would help us coordinate quickly when problems arise and ensure that our citizens can use digital platforms safely.”
He emphasised that Timor-Leste is now undergoing an accelerated digital transformation, and therefore safety, trust and platform responsibility must develop alongside the expansion of digital infrastructure and access.
Key Areas of MRRM 2026
The Ministers-Regulators Roundtable Meeting (MRRM 2026) focused on the following key areas:
Online Safety and Child Protection: Strengthening policies and regulations to ensure a safe digital environment, including age-verification mechanisms and appropriate measures for minor users.
Platform Responsibility: Strengthening the accountability of social media platforms, enforcement mechanisms and cooperation among governments, regulators and global platforms.
Regional Cooperation: Strengthening information sharing, assistance among member states and regulatory coordination to respond to cross-border digital challenges.
Digital Trust and AI: Strengthening secure digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, data protection and Artificial Intelligence (AI) governance across ASEAN.
Timor-Leste’s participation in MRRM 2026 reflects the Government’s commitment to strengthening secure, inclusive and trusted digital transformation, and to actively contributing to digital cooperation within ASEAN as a new member of the regional community.
TATOLI
