Malaysia requires foreign tech companies to provide high-skilled training for local talent as a condition for investment, says Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
KUALA LUMPUR: Foreign technology companies are required to provide high skilled training opportunities to local talent as a prerequisite for investing in Malaysia, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He said the focus currently encompasses the oil and gas industry as well as the chemicals sector that meet the country’s latest needs, in addition to information technology (IT) and artificial intelligence (AI).
“We do not accept just bare minimum training but want something that gives us a (greater) edge,” the Prime Minister said at the Temu Anwar session and launch of UCSI University’s new building project here today.
Anwar said the government is intensifying efforts to develop AI talent domestically to meet the requirements for the growing high-tech investments in Malaysia.
He added that this is crucial to ensure the country has a sufficient talent pool to support the influx of new investments in the technology and digital sectors.
Anwar also said that all universities are encouraged to expand their AI education offerings so that Malaysia does not merely be a technology consumer but instead emerges as a leader in the field.
“All universities are asked to have AI units, departments, or faculties so that we do not just become users but also leaders,” he said.
Meanwhile, Anwar said the government’s implementation of a sovereign AI cloud is not intended to restrict investments by global technology companies, but rather involves control over sensitive data within the scope of national security.
He said that there remains confusion surrounding the sovereign AI cloud concept, which he said focuses on protecting strategic government data and national security, rather than imposing blanket control over all data in the country.
“I would like to reiterate that the sovereign AI cloud is confined to issues we consider within the scope of national security.
“And if Google, Microsoft, or AWS want to build their own clouds, we will not prevent them. The sovereign AI cloud does not mean we control access to all available data,” he added.
