Chair, UNESCO Science Technology Engineering Innovation
Policy Asia and Pacific Region Network (STEPAN)
National AI Roadmap 2021–2025: The Journey
Since 2019, Malaysia has made remarkable strides in the development and implementation of its National AI Roadmap, with Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) playing a key role throughout the process. UTM’s longstanding expertise in AI, backed by more than 28 years of AI-related research and over 200 AI projects in partnership with national and international stakeholders, positioned it as a natural leader in developing the roadmap. The roadmap itself was crafted over nearly a year, during which extensive quadruple helix engagements took place involving government agencies, industry representatives, academic institutions, associations and civil society both locally and internationally.
The roadmap focuses on six key trust areas: governance and responsible AI ethics; research and development, commercialisation and sandbox environments; talent development, including workforce upskilling and reskilling; infrastructure and data management; and communication and societal engagement. These areas are implemented through 22 strategic initiatives, phased between 2021 and 2025. To date, approximately 70 to 75 percent of these initiatives have been successfully executed, reflecting strong collaboration among multiple ministries and agencies. This achievement results from the collective efforts of government bodies, academia, industry players, and civil society, who have come together to build a cohesive AI ecosystem that harmonises innovation with governance while balancing ambition with responsibility.
Coordination among multiple ministries and agencies The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) plays a leading coordination role as the secretariat, managing the steering and technical committees comprising over 100 members from more than 25 government agencies, universities, companies and associations.
Since 2020, under the leadership of Datuk Ts. Dr. Mohd Nor Azman Hassan, who serves as Deputy SecretaryGeneral (Technical), MOSTI provides essential technical direction in monitoring the implementation and progress of the National AI Roadmap. The Malaysian Research Accelerator for Technology and Innovation (MRANTI) supports sandbox initiatives and technology commercialisation. At the same time, the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) advances digital economy policies and facilitates the
development of AI Technology.
The Ministry of Digital (MOD), established in November 2023, now oversees the National AI Office (NAIO). This office plays a crucial role in spearheading more direct governance, implementation and inter-ministerial coordination. The Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) lead efforts to integrate AI literacy and skills throughout formal education systems, including teacher training programmes. The Ministry of Human Resources emphasises AI-related Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), recognising the critical need to upskill and reskill Malaysia’s workforce for AI-driven industries.
The Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) facilitates investment incentives while also playing a critical role in developing AI standards. The Ministry of Communications enhances infrastructure deployment and public communication to boost awareness and digital inclusivity. The ministry has also developed the first Code of AI Ethics for the Telecommunication and Multimedia sector in 2025.
The Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC) actively monitors the impact of AI adoption on productivity and economic growth, while the National Cyber Security Agency (NACSA) oversees the enforcement of cybersecurity legislation to protect AI ecosystems. Malaysia has strengthened its AI governance framework through the review of the Personal Data Protection Act and the enactment of the Cybersecurity Act in 2024, which introduces crucial safeguards to protect AI systems and data assets from emerging cyber threats. Under MOD’s leadership, the Data Sharing Act – “Omnibus Act 2025” promotes responsible and secure data exchange, initially targeting the public sector to establish trust and high-quality data pools, essential for AI training and deployment.
However, governance is only part of the equation; it is not enough. AI thrives on solid infrastructure. To achieve its vision of becoming a regional AI leader, Malaysia is rapidly investing in data centres, which form the backbone of a resilient and sustainable AI ecosystem. Data centres are crucial because they provide the immense computational power required to process vast amounts of data quickly and efficiently, enabling machine learning algorithms and real-time AI decision-making. They ensure scalability, high availability and low latency needed for advanced AI applications. Moreover, modern data centres use AI to optimise energy consumption, cooling and security, promoting sustainability and operational efficiency. This strong infrastructure foundation is essential for unlocking the full potential of AI technologies and supporting Malaysia’s ambition to become a leading AI hub in Southeast Asia.
In line with this vision, Malaysia aims to complete over 80 data centres by 2028, supported by significant investments from multinational technology companies such as Microsoft, NVIDIA, Huawei and Google, alongside local partners like YTL Corporation Berhad.
National AI Governance and Ethics Guidelines
In my role as the Head of the Working Group for Governance, Legal and Ethics, we have developed and introduced the national guidelines on AI governance and ethics (AIGE) framework. These guidelines apply to AI users, regulators, policy makers, developers and technology providers, aiming to foster trust and responsible AI adoption. The framework is anchored by seven core principles: fairness, safety, transparency, inclusivity, accountability, privacy and human-centric design. These principles are fully aligned with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s (UNESCO) Recommendation on AI Ethics (2021).
At the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)level, Malaysia has been an active contributor to the development of ASEAN AI guidelines, launched in 2024, and has helped expand these guidelines to include emerging technologies like generative AI. Furthermore, Malaysia contributed to the development of the ASEAN Responsible AI Roadmap for 2030, which seeks to harmonise AI governance and ensure responsible AI adoption throughout Southeast Asia.
Economically, Malaysia has attracted over US$21 billion in investments in the past two years alone, indicating strong confidence from international industry leaders. These investments have propelled advancement not only in physical infrastructure but also in human capital development, reflecting Malaysia’s holistic and multi-sectoral approach to AI readiness.
Building an Ecosystem of Trust
Malaysia’s trusted AI governance framework demonstrates active engagement in global partnerships and international AI standard-setting efforts. As a Participating member (P-member) in the International Organisation for Standardisation’s (ISO) AI technical committees, Malaysia has played a significant role in developing and publishing of more than 25 international AI standards over the past few years. This involvement reflects Malaysia’s commitment to adopting globally recognised best practices, ensuring AI interoperability, ethical compliance, and industry transparency.
As Chair of STEPAN, I have supported UNESCO’s efforts in developing and promoting universal AI ethics guidelines. These UNESCO recommendations serve as foundational frameworks that Malaysia has adapted to reflect our national socio-cultural, religious and ethical contexts. This close collaboration ensures that Malaysia contributes meaningfully to global AI ethics while customising approaches to fit local needs and values.
Malaysia has established strong bilateral partnerships with advanced AI nations such as the United Kingdom, China, Australia, Japan and South Korea. Exchanges with these countries have included sharing insights on AI ethics, regulatory regimes, governance approaches and standards development. For instance, the collaboration with the UK’s British Standards Institution and technical exchanges with Japanese regulators have significantly informed Malaysia’s AI governance and policy design. Beyond bilateral partnerships, Malaysia has actively engaged with global institutions such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the World Economic Forum (WEF) to align national AI policies with international norms, particularly on emerging challenges like AI safety and societal impact.
Through these global and regional partnerships, Malaysia has established a resilient and trustworthy AI governance foundation, positioning itself to address evolving technological and ethical challenges while contributing actively to ongoing international AI policy discussions.
Key Lessons Learned and Support for Malaysia’s AI Vision
Based on the assessment of the Country’s AI Readiness under UNESCO initiatives, our National AI Roadmap implementation from 2021 to 2025 has provided invaluable lessons, which will help establish strong foundations for achieving the Prime Minister’s vision of Menuju Negara Kecerdasan Buatan (Towards an AI-Powered Nation). Most importantly, we recognise that broad multi-stakeholder collaboration across government agencies, academia, industry, associations and society is vital for effective governance and wide-spread AI adoption. This quadruple helix model has enabled Malaysia to advance AI deployment in various sectors, including public administration, education, healthcare, finance, agriculture and smart cities. International collaboration has been critical in helping us develop adaptive AI ethics and governance frameworks that not only follow global best practices, but are also carefully tailored to Malaysia’s social, cultural and religious landscape. Social inclusivity remains a top priority in our AI journey, with significant efforts to promote gender equity and increase the participation of women and girls in AI-from grassroots education to workforce development-embodying our principle of “AI for All.” The rapid emergence of new AI technologies such as generative AI, quantum AI, and agentic AI underscores the importance of treating AI governance and ethical guidelines as “living documents” that must be continuously updated. This necessity has been reinforced by observing other countries and organisations like the OECD, which have revised their AI guidelines multiple times in response to technological shifts. Malaysia’s commitment to inclusivity was recognised internationally with the Asia Pacific Women in AI Award for “AI for Good” in 2025, further validating our efforts and galvanising growing AI literacy among our population.
We have worked closely with the Academy of Sciences to identify and prioritise over 20 critical technology sectors dubbed “10-10” that are key to advancing national AI readiness and supporting broad-based technology commercialisation. This ensures that AI benefits all segments of Malaysia’s economic landscape, with no one left behind.
Risk and impact assessments have been foundational in ensuring AI adoption does not compromise societal well-being, economic productivity, or human rights. We pay special attention to high-risk sectors such as defence, healthcare, education and finance, implementing comprehensive governance measures and developing local AI standards and workforce certification programmes to foster trust and compliance.
The NAIO, established under the MOD, has bolstered our governance and implementation capacity, enabling us to coordinate the transition from the current roadmap into the Malaysia AI Masterplan (2026–2030) effectively. Continuous monitoring shows that about 70 to 75 percent of the roadmap’s initiatives have been achieved, with a final evaluation report expected by the end of 2025.
These lessons highlight the importance of adaptive governance, multi-sector engagement, social inclusion, targeted sector strategies, and strong international collaboration. Together, we prepare Malaysia to confidently step into the next phase of AI development, establishing ourselves as a responsible, innovative and globally connected AIpowered nation.
AI for Good: Malaysia’s Human-Centric Approach
Reflecting on the past four years, Malaysia has made great progress in realising the National AI Roadmap 2021–2025 by leveraging extensive collaboration across government, academia, industry and civil society. Our systematic adoption of the quadruple helix engagement model and strong governance institutions has ensured coordinated and effective AI integration across key sectors.
At the heart of our approach is a firm commitment to AI for Good. We have comprehensively addressed governance, gender equity, inclusivity, ethics, grassroots outreach, and education – making AI development truly inclusive and socially responsible. This dedication has earned Malaysia recognition as a champion of AI for Good in the Asia Pacific region, reflected in two prestigious awards. When the Prime Minister declared Malaysia ready to be the AI hub for the Asia Pacific, the nation confidently affirmed this readiness, marking a collective achievement for all Malaysians, for the country.
A key contributor to this success is the Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT), which, together with the Academy of Sciences, identified over 20 critical technology sectors – the “10-10” commercialisation areas – highlighting AI as a strategic technology enabler. MIGHT’s crucial role in supporting AI technology readiness and commercialisation has strengthened Malaysia’s AI ecosystem, ensuring no one is left behind in this journey.
Malaysia’s active participation in global AI standardsetting bodies and leadership within ASEAN have enabled us to harmonise our AI governance with international best practices while respecting diverse cultural and ethical contexts. Our commitment to inclusive AI development – especially through gender equity and grassroots outreach-has not only been internationally recognised but also continues to strengthen our national AI capabilities.
Key lessons learned emphasise the necessity of dynamic and adaptive governance frameworks, sector-specific risk and impact assessments, investment in robust data infrastructure, and human capital development, along with a cohesive multi-agency approach. Supported by the NAIO and close multi-ministry cooperation, Malaysia is well-positioned to transition into its next phase of AI development. We remain focused on fulfilling the vision of becoming a future-ready, ethically responsible and globally engaged AI-powered nation.
As Malaysia transitions into the AI Masterplan 2026– 2030, our vision is clear: to become an AI-powered nation that is future-ready, ethically grounded, and globally connected. The journey has only just begun – and we are ready to shape the future together.
Towards the Future of Responsible AI
Since 2020, I have been deeply honoured to contribute to Malaysia’s AI journey, starting with the development of the National AI Roadmap (2021–2025) and leading the Working Group on AI Governance, Legal and Ethics. This role has enabled me to coordinate strategic initiatives, develop national governance guidelines, promote responsible AI, and advance Malaysia’s involvement in international AI standards such as ISO 42000.
Engaging with over 60 government agencies, universities, companies and associations, I have worked to build AI awareness and trust. Leading Malaysia’s role as Lead Assessor for AI Ethics Standards with IEEE and championing our initiatives through STEPAN and UNESCO regionally has been a key part of this journey.
As the AI Roadmap concludes in December 2025, my commitment to supporting Malaysia’s vision as a regional hub for safe, inclusive and impactful AI remains unwavering. This dedication was recognised at the Asia Pacific Women in AI Gala Dinner 2025 in Sydney, where I was proud to be named 1st RunnerUp for the Best AI Award and Winner of the AI for Social Good Award for Asia Pacific-honours that highlight Malaysia’s growing leadership in AI across the region.
