MALAYSIA is rapidly advancing its ambitions to become an artificial intelligence-driven nation, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said on Friday, hailing the significant progress made through a strategic partnership between Nvidia Corporation and YTL Power International Bhd.
Speaking after a meeting with Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang and YTL Power managing director Datuk Seri Yeoh Seok Hong, Anwar described the collaboration as a “key driver” for accelerating national AI initiatives for the benefit of all Malaysians.
“Malaysia has set a target to become an AI-centric nation by 2030 – leveraging AI to enhance productivity, empower public services, and build a sustainable, inclusive, and ethical digital economy. Establishing AI sovereignty is essential to developing a secure and trusted AI-powered digital ecosystem,” Anwar said.
The meeting, held on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Meeting, also saw the attendance of Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
This marked Anwar’s second meeting with the so-called ‘newest tech megastars,’ following their first encounter in Putrajaya in 2023.
Among the achievements highlighted was the completion of YTL Power’s advanced AI data centre at the 600MW YTL Green Data Centre Park in Kulai, Johor, in collaboration with Nvidia. The facility utilises NVL72 Grace Blackwell (GB 200) liquid-cooled GPUs, representing a major step forward in Malaysia’s AI sovereignty.
Last July, the two companies launched an AI infrastructure powered by green energy, supported by a RM10 billion investment, underscoring Malaysia’s rapid progress toward its AI goals.
Since December last year, Malaysia has also established the National AI Office (NAIO) under the Ministry of Digital, alongside initiatives to promote AI adoption, including the development of a sovereign AI cloud and programmes to enhance AI skills and usage across public and private sectors.
Anwar also praised the launch of Malaysia’s first large language model, Ilmu, which stands for ‘Intelek Luhur Malaysia Untukmu,’ unveiled at the ASEAN AI Summit in August.
Tengku Zafrul highlighted the government’s commitment to the sector, noting that RM5.9 billion has been allocated in the 2026 Budget to strengthen national AI capabilities. “This substantial investment underscores our firm commitment to establishing Malaysia as a leading regional hub for AI innovation and data centre excellence,” he said.
YTL Power’s Seok Hong emphasised the importance of developing a sovereign AI cloud for public service delivery.
“With the YTL AI Cloud now operational and the launch of Ilmu — our large language model developed and owned by Malaysia — the country is poised to be among the first in the region to benefit from true AI sovereignty.
“We thank the government for its foresight in creating a policy framework enabling rapid AI infrastructure development nationwide,” he said.
The collaboration reflects Malaysia’s broader strategy to integrate AI across manufacturing and service sectors, enhancing productivity, competitiveness, and global relevance, while ensuring the country retains ownership and control of its AI technologies. - October 31, 2025
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