The Malaysia Digital 2030 plan sets ambitious targets including 30% GDP contribution and 500,000 digital jobs by 2030.
PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today launched Malaysia Digital 2030 (MD2030), a national action plan for 2026-2030 that marks a major shift in the country’s digital strategy from being a technology consumer to a producer of home-grown innovation.
The launch was attended by Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil and Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar.
In a statement, the Digital Ministry said the action plan sets ambitious national targets by 2030, including raising the digital economy’s contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) to 30%, creating 500,000 high-value digital jobs, generating RM4.5 billion in public sector savings through digitalisation, and delivering 95% of government services fully online from end to end.
The ministry has been designated as the lead agency to drive the country’s strategic direction in realising the ‘Towards an AI Nation 2030’ agenda.
MD2030 is built around seven strategic pillars, namely government, economy, infrastructure, talent, society, trust and security, and innovation, with each led by the relevant ministry under a whole-of-government approach.
Each pillar will be overseen by a cluster head. The Government pillar will be led by Shamsul Azri; Economy by Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani; Infrastructure by Fahmi; Talent by Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramanan; Society by Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri; Trust and Security by Gobind; and Innovation by Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Chang Lih Kang.
The Government pillar will focus on enhancing public service delivery through the establishment of GovTech Malaysia.
The Economy pillar aims to position Malaysia as a regional digital innovation and trade hub by promoting “Made by Malaysia” products, accelerating technology adoption in High Growth High Value (HGHV) sectors, and unlocking the potential of data, digital assets and intellectual property (IP).
The Infrastructure pillar will prioritise nationwide high-quality internet connectivity while developing sustainable digital infrastructure, including data centres, cloud computing and smart cities.
The Talent pillar seeks to prepare the workforce for the digital economy through a comprehensive talent policy framework, agile workforce transition initiatives and efforts to strengthen Malaysia’s position as a regional and global digital talent hub.
Under the Society pillar, the government will promote inclusive participation in the digital ecosystem through the institutionalisation of the Malaysian Digital Inclusion Index, empowerment of rural communities and the rollout of socially impactful digital solutions.
The Trust and Security pillar will seek to balance digital security with innovation through the operationalisation of the National Data Commission and the development of the National Digital Trust and Data Security Strategy 2026-2030.
Meanwhile, the Innovation pillar will strengthen the innovation pipeline from research to commercialisation by building a robust Research, Development, Commercialisation, Innovation and Economy (RDCIE) ecosystem to support Malaysia’s transition into a creator of digital technologies.
In the same statement, Gobind said the launch of MD2030 demonstrated Malaysia’s readiness to move beyond being a technology consumer to becoming a respected producer of digital innovation.
“As the lead ministry, the Digital Ministry is not only responsible for achieving holistic economic targets but is also committed to ensuring this transformation is built on trust, data security and strong governance.
“Through a whole-of-government approach, the ministry will ensure all agencies under its purview implement the action plan in a coordinated and comprehensive manner,” he said.
The ministry said MD2030 will be implemented in collaboration with its agencies, including the National AI Office (NAIO), the National Digital Department (GovTech Malaysia), the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), CyberSecurity Malaysia, MyDIGITAL Corporation and the Malaysia Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (MYCentre4IR).
It said the action plan will shape Malaysia’s future as a progressive AI nation, where artificial intelligence is integrated across all aspects of life, data serves as a strategic national asset, intelligent and autonomous systems become the norm, and people thrive alongside technology.
“The MADANI Government remains committed to ensuring this implementation phase not only positions Malaysia as a regional digital champion but also delivers inclusive and equitable transformation for all Malaysians,” it added.
