SALUTATION
1. Yang Berhormat Datuk Wilson Ugak Anak Kumbong
Deputy Minister of Digital
2. Yang Berusaha Mr Ganesh Kumar Bangah
Chairman, MDEC
3. Yang Berusaha Encik Anuar Fariz Fadzil
Chief Executive Officer, MDEC
4. Mr Jason Sosa AI Technologist and Founder of Sosa Research
Distinguished Guest,
Member of the Media,
Ladies and Gentlemen.
Salam Perpaduan, Salam Malaysia MADANI and a very good Morning.
1. It is a pleasure to be with all of you here today.
2. Malaysia’s digital transformation is already on its way. As such, it is at this forum that we address an important question; What role Malaysia now intends to play?
3. Will we remain primarily consumers of technologies developed elsewhere? Or will we build the capabilities to create, commercialise and compete globally?
THE GOVERNMENT HAS SET A CLEAR DIRECTION
Ladies and Gentlemen,
4. Malaysia has done extremely well in digital investments. We have witnessed over RM144 billion in approved data centre and cloud commitments. Hyperscalers are being built across Selangor and Johor, among other states.
5. It was recently reported that Malaysia is among the five Southeast Asian economies poised to attract more direct investment (FDI), mainly due to our strengths in manufacturing and digital infrastructure.
6. But the question that will define our next decade is fundamentally different. Who actually profits from this infrastructure?
7. A fully operational data centre employs a few dozen people. But an AI services industry, a cloud operations hub, or a regional digital headquarters employs thousands. And it pulls an entire nation’s economy forward.
8. That distinction is where the future of our economy will be decided.
9. Our job today is to ensure we don't just host the digital future. We Build it. We Run it, and we Own it.
ROLE OF THE MINISTRY OF DIGITAL
Ladies and Gentlemen,
10. The Ministry of Digital has a clear responsibility. We must bring together the essential elements of Malaysia’s digital and AI transformation into a coherent national agenda.
11. This requires us to align policy with digital infrastructure, strengthen our data foundations, advance AI governance, secure our assets online, and develop talents required for an increasingly digital-driven economy.
12. More importantly, we must create an enabling environment in which Malaysian businesses of all shapes and sizes can adopt new technologies with confidence, strengthen their capabilities, innovate and compete in regional and global markets. 4
13. This is why we established AI Malaysia Berhad. It coordinates the implementation of the National AI Action Plan and strengthens national AI capabilities, governance, trust, international partnerships and AI safety.
14. We are also strengthening our data foundations through the Public Sector Data Digitalisation Policy, together with the expansion of MyGDX.
15. Through GovTech Malaysia, we are modernising digital public services while strengthening cloud capabilities, cybersecurity, digital trust and responsible AI governance.
16. These are all interconnected components of the national architecture required to build a sustainable AI Nation.
TURNING POLICY INTO PRACTICAL OUTCOMES
Ladies and Gentlemen,
17. The Government must demonstrate how technology can be applied to address real challenges.
18. Through the Government Innovation Initiative, we are bringing real public-sector challenges to the technology ecosystem and creating opportunities for Made by Malaysia solutions.
19. Rather than viewing Government solely as a purchaser of technology, this approach allows Government to serve as a platform for innovation, while providing Malaysian companies with opportunities to demonstrate their technologies in real operating environments.
20. We are also exploring the next generation of digital public services through MyGOV Malaysia and Agentic AI, with the potential for systems that better understand context and assist citizens across digital Government services, supported by appropriate governance and guardrails.
21. These are examples of the practical outcomes that our AI Nation 2030 ambition must ultimately deliver. This brings me to MDEC.
MDEC: CONNECTING POLICY WITH THE MARKET
Ladies and Gentlemen,
22. While my Ministry sets the national policy direction, the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) plays a role in translating that direction into economic opportunity.
23. Under MD2030, MDEC has an important role in driving digital economic growth, supporting MSMEs empowerment and strengthening Malaysia’s AI ecosystem.
24. For MSMEs, this means making digitalisation and AI more accessible, practical and commercially relevant. For Malaysia Digital companies, it means creating stronger pathways towards commercialisation, investment and international markets.
25. Programmes such as the Malaysia Digital Acceleration Grant for Artificial Intelligence, or MDAG-AI, support Malaysia Digital companies in developing and commercialising AI solutions. MDEC will continue to strengthen Malaysia’s digital ecosystem and support the growth of the nation’s digital economy.
26. Building on this foundation, MDEC can further strengthen its role as a strategic connector bringing Government and industry closer together, supporting commercialisation, connecting businesses with talent and capital.
MDX: TURNING CONVERSATIONS INTO COLLABORATIONS
27. This is why platforms such as MDX matter. This should be more than just a technology forum.
28. It should be a platform where the Government listens to industry, businesses gain a clearer understanding of national policy, investors discover Malaysian capabilities, and conversations develop into partnerships and opportunities.
29. For those of you here today, I hope MDX serves as an opportunity for meaningful engagements between the Government and industry.
30. At the same time, MDX should showcase the strength of Malaysian industry, the ideas, technologies and solutions that our companies are capable of developing and taking to the world.
31. Meaningful partnerships require an open exchange of perspectives, a shared understanding of priorities and the willingness to translate Malaysia’s digital ambitions into tangible outcomes.
LOOKING AHEAD
Ladies and Gentlemen,
32. Budget 2027 will soon be tabled. I look forward to it, and I am hopeful that, under the leadership of our Prime Minister, YAB Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, we will continue to build on our strong digital and AI transformation momentum.
33. The journey towards AI Nation 2030 is a shared responsibility, and that spirit of partnership must remain at the heart of Malaysia’s digital transformation.
34. By 2030, Malaysia should be recognised not simply for how quickly we adopt AI, but for how effectively we use it to strengthen our economy, develop our talent, build globally competitive companies and create meaningful value for our people.
35. Let us take Malaysian ideas further, transform innovation into commercial success, and give our companies and talent the confidence to compete on the global stage.
36. Let us move forward with confidence in our capabilities, clarity in our direction, and a shared determination to build an AI-driven future that creates lasting value for Malaysia and greater opportunities for all Malaysians.
Thank you.
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