SALUTATION
1. Yang Berbahagia Tan Sri Nazir Razak Chairman, ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC)
2. Mr Goh Peng Ooi President, AI Malaysia (AIM)
3. Mr Joseph Modayil Founder & President, Openmind Research Institute
4. Professor Richard S. Sutton Founder, Openmind Research Institute
5. Professor Randy Goebel Founder, Openmind Research Institute
6. Yang Berbahagia Datuk Yvonne Chia Vice President, AI Malaysia (AIM)
7. Mr Omar Rana Chief Executive Officer, Openmind Research Institute
Excellencies and Esteemed Dignitaries,
Distinguished Guests,
Members of the Media,
Ladies and Gentlemen.
Salam Perpaduan, Salam Malaysia MADANI and a very good Morning.
1. I would like to thank the organiser for inviting me to this event. I would also like to extend a warm welcome to Professor Richard Sutton, who is recognised for his pioneering work in reinforcement learning, and foundational contributions to modern AI. Congratulations, Professor Richard, and to your long-time collaborator Professor Emeritus Andrew Barto, for being awarded the “Nobel Prize of Computing”, the 2024 Turing Award.
2. The work of the duo extends far beyond computer science and AI - forging crucial connections between modern computational reinforcement learning, and brain sciences. Their research has provided groundbreaking insights into how learning can occur, both in machines and in the human brain.
3. I am drawn to what Professor Richard was once quoted as saying about the evolution of AI. He said, and I quote: “If I tell you to walk across the street, you don’t think about every tiny muscle movement. You think about the goal: crossing the street. AI needs to learn like that, at a higher level of abstraction.”
4. While the average consumer is learning to appreciate the fact that smart technologies are now part of our everyday lives, it is the likes of Professor Richard, his respected peer Andrew and many others who continue to push the envelope with breakthroughs. They are responsible for the Intelligent Age that we live in today, and decades to come.
5. From engineers to educators, health personnel to hoteliers – we are seeing an increased usage of AI across various fields. As AI’s capabilities continue to develop, we remain enthusiastic about its potential to further transform industries across the spectrum.
GOVERNING AI WITH TRUST
Ladies and Gentlemen,
6. While technology continues to evolve, trust, or lack of it, hogs the limelight. Many had trust issues during the early days of online banking. Some were even hesitant to purchase products online. The same can be said about AI. Early on, people were eager to look at the negatives instead of building on the positives. But over the years, the digital environment, complete with newer laws and regulations, have earned the trust of the users.
7. Today more and more people, especially in Malaysia, are fully committed to harnessing the capabilities of AI. This MADANI Government saw the need to establish a Ministry of Digital, and since then we have been kept busy to create a trusted and safe digital environment. This includes the introduction of the Data Sharing Act, developing the AI Governance and Ethics (AIGE) framework and establishing the National AI Office, among many others. And on Tuesday (May 27), Malaysia was granted data sovereignty by the Bahrain government for data held by Malaysian companies in cloud computing centres based in the Kingdom.
8. Through such proactive measures, I am confident that Malaysia can set a precedent for inclusive, responsible and ethical advancement in AI.
MALAYSIA’S POSITION IN AI READINESS AND AMBITION
Ladies and Gentlemen,
9. Malaysia sits in the Top 50% category in AI readiness, joining the likes of Denmark, Italy and Switzerland. This is according to Boston Consulting Group’s ‘The AI Maturity Matrix’ report published last November.
10. The report showed that Malaysia is among the three economies in Southeast Asia, the other being Singapore and Indonesia, that are front-runners in AI. This reflects Malaysia’s maturing digital ecosystem that revolves around infrastructure, cyber resilience and talent.
11. But this did not happen overnight. Malaysia’s quest in becoming a digital champion can be traced back to the establishment of the Multimedia Super Corridor in 1996. Since then, we have seen a series of initiatives leading to present day strategic initiatives such as the National AI Roadmap (2021-2025); Malaysia Digital; and the AI Technology Action Plan (2026-2030).
12. Events like the ASEAN AI Summit that will be held in Kuala Lumpur in August, followed by the Smart City Expo Kuala Lumpur - the first in this region - in September, cement our commitment in pushing for the nation’s digital agenda. We want to become a digital nation, one that is powered by AI, and other technologies.
13. Malaysia’s dedication in digital excellence has not gone unnoticed. We have attracted global players to invest in Malaysia. Google, Amazon Web Services and Microsoft are among those who have invested billions of Ringgit establishing data centres here. Its spillover effect will eventually benefit Malaysians.
14. The Ministry of Digital is working closely with other ministries in our ambition to create a digital nation. My respected colleague, YB Steven Sim and his ministry (Human Resource) have been fully supportive in creating digital talents. Exactly a week ago, I was with YB Steven as we launched the MyMahir National AI Council for Industry. And we’re here again today for yet another game-changing initiative.
A COORDINATED PATH FORWARD ON AI IN ASEAN
Ladies and Gentlemen,
15. Malaysia, as ASEAN chair this year, has just successfully hosted the 46 th ASEAN Summit earlier this week. This was followed by the 2 nd ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit and the ASEAN-GCC-China Summit.
16. At these events, our honourable Prime Minister, Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, had repeatedly called for collaboration among ASEAN Member States, including in the development of AI. However, to do so, there must be a coordinated effort to ensure we can bridge the gap among our neighbours, and that ASEAN citizens – from all 10 nations - benefit from our digitalisation journey.
17. We must address cybercrimes, including online scams, and other security risks in the region. We must look at legal issues, social and cultural differences, and turn our huge ASEAN population into a talented digital workforce. Connectivity is key.
AI MALAYSIA & RALLYING THE ECOSYSTEM
Ladies and Gentlemen,
18. Malaysia aspires to be a connector, not merely a competitor in ASEAN. As such, the creation of a platform that will connect various stakeholders in the region is timely.
19. AI Malaysia (AIM) is a dedicated platform that will bridge Malaysian business with AI breakthroughs across ASEAN and the world.
20. I look forward to AIM pursuing its core missions around advocating for AI adoption, and talent development, as well as fostering collaborations across public-private sectors to further AI innovations. 21. AIM's mandate reinforces the importance of us working together to co-design an ecosystem to promote responsible AI design, growth and technologies.
22. I have been told that AIM and ASEAN-BAC are also focusing on supporting the development of ASEAN’s AI ecosystems for policy alignment and innovation. Kudos to all of you.
CONCLUSION
Ladies and Gentlemen,
23. We need to build a collaborative model to shape our AI path forward. The spirit of networking and collaboration are consistent with the principles seen in our National AI Roadmap; anchored by collaborations across governments, academia, industries, and the society at large.
24. As such, I would like to invite AIM, ASEAN-BAC and even Professor Richard to work closely with the Ministry of Digital in advancing our digital agenda. Let’s have more and more conversations about AI. 25. On that note, it is an honour for me to launch AI Malaysia. Let us embark on this exciting AI journey, together. Thank You
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