Malaysia must ensure that advances in technology and artificial intelligence (AI) do not come at the expense of religion, culture, moral values and national identity, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has said.
Speaking at the launch of AI Malaysia, a national AI entity under the Digital Ministry, PM Anwar said Malaysia must embrace and master AI to remain globally competitive while preserving the human values that underpin the country's development as a MADANI nation.
“AI and technological advancement may enable us to reach for the skies, but we must not allow our religion, culture and moral values to be eroded. We must remain firmly grounded.
“We should aspire to the heights achieved by advanced nations while staying rooted in our identity, culture, ethics and faith. That is the new challenge we face.”
PM Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, said AI adoption must begin within the education system, with students introduced to the technology from an early age. He called for stronger Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), teacher training and supporting infrastructure.
“I told the Ministry of Education this morning to prepare the country by strengthening STEM and TVET, and by introducing AI exposure in schools to achieve the objectives of AI Malaysia,” he said.
The Digital Ministry will spearhead efforts to accelerate AI adoption across government ministries, departments and agencies, PM Anwar said.
He also called on universities to strengthen their AI faculties, departments and research centres to ensure graduates develop skills that meet evolving global industry requirements.
PM Anwar said feedback from major technology companies, including Nvidia, Google, Microsoft, Huawei and Ericsson, showed that Malaysian graduates still need stronger skills, highlighting the need for closer collaboration between academia and industry.
However, he stressed that efforts to meet industry requirements must not come at the cost of developing graduates with strong ethical values and a sense of humanity.
“Other countries may also face challenges to their humanity. For Malaysia, as a multiracial nation, if religion and human values are eroded, the country will suffer because people will lose their human dignity,” he said.
On Malaysia's AI development agenda, PM Anwar said the country should make full use of local expertise by empowering universities, educational institutions and the private sector to develop home-grown AI technologies and solutions.
He said Malaysia's ambition should now extend beyond simply manufacturing products domestically to developing technology created by Malaysian talent.
“We have moved beyond talking about ‘made in Malaysia’. Now we must focus on ‘made by Malaysia’ by supporting universities, educational institutions and the private sector to develop our own capabilities,” he added.
The launch of AI Malaysia comes as the government seeks to accelerate AI adoption across the public sector and strengthen the country's talent pipeline, while ensuring technological development remains aligned with Malaysia's social, cultural and ethical foundations.