Kuala Lumpur, Oct. 24 -- Malaysia has urged ASEAN member states to strengthen cooperation and define clear strategic directions to ensure the completion of the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) by 2026.

Speaking at a special meeting of the ASEAN Economic Community Council (AECC) on DEFA, Malaysian Minister of Investment, Trade, and Industry Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz said ASEAN aims to substantially conclude negotiations this year and proceed to the signing in 2026.

He underscored that the meeting served as an important platform for ASEAN to assess negotiation progress and address major policy matters, including taxation on online transactions, digital content transmission, cross-border data and software flow, an...