The Ministry of Communications and Multimedia Malaysia (K-KOMM) has launched "DE Rantau", a program aimed at establishing Malaysia as a digital nomad hub in promoting digital professional mobility and tourism across the country.

In a joint statement with Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), both parties noted that this program intends to benefit both local foreign digital nomads.

On top of that, the DE Rantau Pass would assist foreigner digital nomads in staying in Malaysia for 12 months. Through MDEC, K-KOMM plans to create a vibrant ecosystem that supports work life balance for digital nomads.

K-KOMM Minister Annuar Musa said the DE Rantau program will help pave the way for Malaysia in becoming a preferred digital nomad hub in the ASEAN region.

Annuar notes that "Malaysia has all the components in standing out as an attractive digital hub for digital nomads. The digital nomad lifestyle is not new, but rather a pandemic that has accelerated digitalization of lifestyle trends as more and more are choosing a technology-driven lifestyle (regardless of location), working and living to their heart's desires."

To promote this initiative, MDEC would facilitate the development of digital nomad hub, inclusive of a digital nomad lifestyle ecosystem.

According to K-KOMM, this initiative will be achieved through collaboration with various industry players, outreach and awareness programs, as well as promotion of the DE Rantau Nomad Pass visa.

K-KOMM predicts that this program is projected to inject a total of US$1.064 billion (RM4.8 billion) into the local economy by 2025.