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Ahmadul Kobir, Malaysia: Malaysia is accelerating its push to become an “AI nation” by 2030, with artificial intelligence expected to reshape the country’s job market, public services, education, healthcare and everyday life.
Under the National AI Action Plan 2026–2030, the government aims to accelerate the responsible development and adoption of AI across the economy while ensuring that workers and businesses are prepared for the technological transition.
By 2030, the government wants AI to contribute an additional 1.2 percentage points to GDP growth, place Malaysia among the world’s top 10 countries in the Global AI Index and create 300,000 AI-attributable jobs.
One of the most visible changes for the public is expected to come through government services. The national plan calls for an AI-augmented civil service designed to make services faster and more efficient while reducing administrative burdens.
An early example is MyGOV Malaysia, a digital platform that had more than 2.9 million users as of July 2026. It currently brings together 52 services from 19 government agencies, covering driving and vehicle services, healthcare, consumer prices, government assistance, cash aid, election information, passports and immigration, and examinations.
The government is now testing agentic AI on MyGOV. Unlike conventional chatbots, agentic AI can understand a user’s request, identify the relevant government service and, where authorised, assist with completing the necessary steps.
Checking a police summons and proceeding directly to payment has been cited as one possible application.
The rollout is being conducted in phases, with data privacy, cybersecurity, accuracy and human oversight identified as key considerations.
AI is also being incorporated into services such as MyJPJ for driving and vehicle matters, MySejahtera for healthcare, PriceCatcher for consumer price information, Portal Manfaat for government assistance, MySPR Semak for election information, and immigration, passport and examination-related services.
Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo has described the country’s AI push as a “whole-of-nation” effort involving the government, industry, academia and the public. The biggest impact of AI could be felt in the labour market.
Although the government aims to create 300,000 AI-attributable jobs by 2030, it has yet to publish a detailed breakdown by occupation.
Research by TalentCorp has identified emerging roles including AI engineers, AI and machine-learning application engineers, AI integration engineers, data scientists, data engineers, AI auditors and AI ethicists.
The study covers 949 occupations across 10 sectors, including electrical and electronics, aerospace, energy and power, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, global business services, information and communications technology, and retail.
At the same time, the government is targeting 700,000 workers for reskilling and upskilling under the Malaysia Digital 2030 Action Plan.
Programmes such as Jelajah AI MyMahir are being introduced to provide practical AI training to workers and different sections of society.
The government’s approach is not simply that AI will replace workers. Rather, it expects the nature of many jobs to change, requiring workers to acquire new skills to remain competitive.
TalentCorp has warned that hundreds of thousands of Malaysian workers could be significantly affected by technological changes if reskilling and upskilling efforts are not intensified.
To prepare the population for an increasingly AI-driven economy, Malaysia aims to make 80 per cent of its population digitally literate by 2030.
Free digital and AI courses are being offered through Rakyat Digital, covering generative AI, cybersecurity and cloud technology.
Under the AI Untuk Rakyat programme, the government aims to reach 100,000 Malaysians aged 18 to 30 by 2027. The programme began its phased rollout on August 31, 2026.
Participants who complete and pass all required modules will receive a free three-month subscription to selected AI applications and software.
Malaysia’s AI ambitions extend beyond employment and public administration. The government plans to expand AI adoption in healthcare, education, transport, agriculture and small businesses.
In education, AI could support personalised learning. In healthcare, it could assist professionals with information and analysis. In agriculture, the technology could help monitor farmland and crops, while small businesses could use AI to manage routine administrative and operational tasks.
But greater adoption also brings concerns over privacy, cybersecurity, transparency and responsible use.
AI Malaysia Berhad, established on July 28, 2026, serves as the country’s national AI agency, with responsibilities covering AI policy, implementation of the national AI agenda, governance, capability development and the Malaysia AI Safety Institute.
Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil has stressed that organisations adopting AI must do so responsibly, transparently and ethically, while consumers need assurance that their personal data will remain protected.
Malaysia’s ambition to become an AI nation by 2030 therefore involves more than introducing advanced technology. It requires preparing workers, businesses and public institutions for a changing economic and social environment.
By the end of the decade, AI is expected to become increasingly embedded in how Malaysians work, learn, conduct business and access government services. The success of the strategy will depend not only on technological progress but also on how effectively the country prepares its people to work alongside AI.
