THE government is pushing ahead with its commitment to expedite the nation's digital transformation by prioritisiing the development of talent in technology sectors, including artificial intelligence (AI), to equip the workforce with the necessary skills to thrive in the evolving digital economy.
Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo highlighted that the eUsahawan programme, managed by the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), has successfully trained more than 563,000 entrepreneurs since its inception in 2015.
This initiative has helped these entrepreneurs gain expertise in digital marketing and e-commerce strategies.
In his statement to the Dewan Rakyat, Gobind highlighted the importance of maintaining Malaysia's competitiveness in the digital era.
He outlined the government's implementation of the MD Workforce Training and Place & Train initiative, which has already engaged 12,964 local workers in specialised fields such as AI, cloud computing, data science, and animation, with plans for more training until December 2024.
As of November 2024, Gobind said the nation had made significant progress in its digitalisation efforts, with the Public Sector Digitalisation Strategic Plan 2021-2025 achieving a notable 82.15 percent completion rate.
Furthermore, he revealed that the government has launched the AI at Work 2.0 programme in collaboration with Google Cloud.
This initiative is set to benefit 445,000 civil servants by integrating generative AI technology into their daily workflows, with the aim of enhancing productivity and allowing employees to focus on more strategic tasks, ultimately improving service delivery to the public.
In a bid to further fortify the country’s AI ecosystem, the government is planning to establish an AI Excellence Centre.
This new hub will serve as a research, innovation, and training center, while also functioning as a platform to develop innovative AI solutions for various sectors.
To broaden digital literacy across the population, the government has also introduced the Digital Citizen Portal, an online platform offering free technology courses.
By February 2025, over 1.3 million Malaysians had participated in the "AI for Citizens" course. Additionally, the government plans to roll out new courses, including "Blockchain for Citizens" and "Quantum Computing for Citizens," by the end of this year, aiming to ensure that Malaysians are equipped with essential digital skills for the future. – February 25, 2025
