GEORGE TOWN: The Digital Ministry is working towards developing Malaysia into a smart nation equipped with comprehensive digital infrastructure, said its minister Gobind Singh Deo.
He said one of the main pillars in building a smart nation is to ensure that every state has smart city initiatives, with the ministry offering full support for these efforts.
“In addition to Penang, the Federal Territories, Johor, and Sarawak are also developing smart cities, and the ministry is monitoring these efforts to create a smart nation. We also hold meetings with state executive councillors every six months to provide input and updates on each state’s progress.
“This is also to explore how collaborations can be enhanced to ensure continuous advancement,” he told reporters after making a working visit to the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) Smart Operation Centre at Komtar here today. Also present was Mayor Datuk A. Rajendran.
Gobind further said that his ministry is responsible for ensuring that Malaysia’s digital infrastructure is sufficient and capable of holistically supporting future technological needs so that no area is left behind in the digitalisation wave.
He added, “We want to build a smart nation… One of the key pillars of this development is ensuring that every state has a smart city initiative. With the emergence of new technologies, we will see even more advanced innovations moving forward.”
Meanwhile, Gobind said Penang is edging closer to becoming Malaysia’s first artificial intelligence (AI) city as various smart technologies are being integrated into urban administration and infrastructure.
He noted that the use of AI technologies not only accelerates urban modernisation but also improves productivity, service efficiency, and the quality of life for the people through technology-driven solutions.
Among the key projects implemented is an AI-based smart traffic management system designed to optimise traffic flow and reduce congestion in the city.
According to Gobind, today’s visit forms part of the preparations for the Smart City Expo Kuala Lumpur 2025 (SCEKL 2025), which will be held from September 17 to 19 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, jointly organised by the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) and Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB).
On another matter, he urged all state governments to enact legislation similar to the Data Sharing Act 2024, which comes into effect today, to expand data-sharing initiatives nationwide.
He said the Act enables data sharing among federal government agencies and paves the way for a broader data-sharing ecosystem involving the federal, state governments, and local authorities (PBT).
The Act, he said, passed in Parliament last December, marks a major milestone as it establishes, for the first time, a legal mechanism for data sharing between departments and agencies at the federal level.
Gobind said that for now, the Data Sharing Act 2024 applies only to ministries and federal agencies and does not yet involve state governments or PBTs but if all federal and state agencies adopt a uniform mechanism, it will create a strong national data ecosystem.
