The Philippines needs strong political will and leadership to benefit from the global digital economy, Malaysian Ambassador to the Philippines Dato Abdul Malik Melvin Castelino bin Anthony said Tuesday.

In a forum organized by the Malaysian Embassy in the Philippines, Anthony said these are "fundamentally important" should Manila decide to follow Kuala Lumpur's path in tapping the booming digital economy.

"Malaysia, for instance, implemented many policies in the area of digitalization, including the establishment of the Digital Investment Office, but this would not be possible if there was no political will," he said.

One of Southeast Asia's fastest-growing industries, Malaysia's digital economy accounts for 22.6 percent of the country's gross domestic product growth.

Malaysia now focuses on key digital technologies such as robotics, artificial intelligence, big data, the Internet of Things, cloud technology, blockchain, financial technology, and cybersecurity.

According to Gopi Ganesalingam, head of digital export of Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation, Kuala Lumpur is aiming to increase its digital economy's contribution to its GDP to 25.5 percent by 2025.