Towards AI nation 2030

MALAYSIA’S digital economy stands at a pivotal juncture.

The foundational work of recent years has set the stage. Now, we must translate this groundwork into tangible national outcomes. It is time to move from reform to results.

As Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo has rightly emphasised: “The world will not wait for us. We need to evolve faster, smarter and more determined to succeed.”

In an era defined by exponential technological change, readiness cannot follow innovation. We must anticipate the future and build for it today.

Think of technology like compound interest. Its greatest returns multiply only when we invest early. Every delay carries a hidden and compounding cost.

Digital transformation is a national imperative that will define our economic competitiveness, social resilience and global standing. The digital economy already contributes 25.5% to national gross domestic product (GDP), with a goal of 30% by 2030.

Guided by the Madani government’s vision, Malaysia possesses the momentum and strategic clarity to realise AI Nation 2030 and cement our role as a digital leader in Asean. This is our mission to embed artificial intelligence (AI) across government, industry and society to drive sustainable growth and elevate quality of life inclusively.

Malaysia’s AI agenda is already moving from strategy to execution. Foundational work has commenced under the National AI Action Plan 2026–2030, with Malaysia Digital Economy Corp (MDEC) playing a direct role in operationalising priority initiatives. Early workshops and planning sessions are underway, including engagements with state governments to assess readiness for regional AI growth zones.

It requires a “whole-of-nation” effort. To deliver, Malaysia is strengthening four critical enablers:

> Talent: Cultivating a digitally fluent, AI-ready workforce.

> Infrastructure: Deploying the sovereign AI cloud and advancing frameworks like the Digital Infrastructure Bill.

> Industry enablement: Empowering small and medium enterprises and corporations to adopt and scale AI.

> Governance: Embedding responsible AI practices, data ethics, and cybersecurity at our core.

Next-Gen Tech shaping the industries of the 2030s

The infrastructure we build today will form the backbone for tomorrow’s transformative technologies: blockchain, robotics, Internet of Things (IoT), quantum computing and spatial computing, where AI serves as the foundational layer.

> Quantum computing will require the secure, sovereign cloud infrastructure we are constructing now.

> Robotics and IoT will rely on the 5G networks and data standards we are deploying.

> Blockchain and spatial computing will depend on the digital identity and interoperability frameworks we are designing.

These technologies are critical economic levers to raise productivity, expand exports, attract quality investments and create higher-value jobs. Malaysia’s opportunity lies not just in adopting them, but in creating, commercialising and exporting them to the world.

As I have consistently emphasised, Malaysia must aspire to be more than a consumer of technology. We must be a producer – a nation that designs, builds, and exports high-value solutions.

True digital sovereignty means owning the intellectual and economic value we create.

We are already seeing promising signals of this shift: local start-ups developing automation for smart factories, home-grown cybersecurity firms exporting regionally, and university-industry partnerships pioneering quantum-safe encryption.

The transformation ahead demands unprecedented unity of purpose. Digitalisation is a national endeavour that transcends sectors and regions.

The government will craft the enabling environment. Industry must drive practical innovation.

Academia must nurture future-ready skills. Collaboration is the single most powerful engine for Malaysia’s digital progress.

Within Malaysia’s digital governance landscape, MDEC has a clear mandate: execution.

We translate national strategies into market-facing outcomes by mobilising investments, accelerating industry adoption and enabling companies to scale.

Our role is to ensure national ambition results in commercial activity, enterprise growth and measurable economic impact.

PPPs turning vision into impact

At the heart of this collaboration lies a robust public-private partnership (PPP) model. While the government sets direction, it is industry that turns vision into impact.

By working hand-in-glove, sharing data, co-developing solutions, and investing jointly in research and development – we can accelerate adoption at scale.

Effective PPPs ensure national strategies yield measurable results and that innovation flows seamlessly from lab to market.

Studies indicate that Asean could forgo up to US$1 trillion in unrealised digital value if nations delay decisive action.

Conversely, bold moves could double the opportunity. Every decision we make today shapes Malaysia’s competitive edge.

Our collective task is to ensure every Malaysian benefits from this journey. The next five years are decisive.

The early indicators are encouraging. From the first three quarters of 2025 alone, 402 companies were approved with Malaysia Digital status, many in forward-looking areas such as AI and cloud infrastructure.

AI-related activities now represent the largest share of new approvals. Collectively, these companies are projected to generate more than 22,000 jobs, with cumulative revenues of RM43.5bil and investment commitments exceeding RM54bil.

MDEC’s role is to champion and accelerate the growth of Malaysia’s digital economy.

Celebrating our 30th anniversary next year, we continue as the nation’s lead agency under the Digital Ministry, working to empower Malaysia towards becoming an AI nation by 2030.