KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian government is advancing the development of a local artificial intelligence system that operates entirely in Bahasa Malaysia to strengthen national digital sovereignty and data security.
Deputy Digital Minister Datuk Wilson Ugak Kumbong stated that this initiative involves collaboration between his ministry, industry players, universities, and local service providers.
This National Large Language Model project will encompass model development, data engineering, computing infrastructure, and data centre requirements.
The AI agenda under the 13th Malaysia Plan will be implemented through a structured, phased approach focusing on infrastructure, digital literacy, education, and rural community support.
Minister Ugak also confirmed that proposals for an Islamic Artificial Intelligence System will be reviewed with relevant authorities including JAKIM to ensure alignment with Malaysian ethical values.
The Ministry of Higher Education will establish a National Education Council this year to coordinate national education policy in line with the Malaysian Higher Education Plan 2025-2035.
Chaired by the Prime Minister, the council will include both Deputy Prime Ministers, the Chief Secretary to the Government, and the Director-General of Public Service among its members.
The council will incorporate representatives from multiple ministries alongside academic experts, industry leaders, and community stakeholders to ensure comprehensive policy development.
This initiative aims to support national industry development and labour market needs while advancing the aspirations of the MADANI Economy framework.
The Ministry of Education plans to add 250 new preschool classes nationwide in 2025 to expand early childhood education access across Malaysia.
Current data shows 10,175 preschool classes operating across 6,349 educational institutions serving 216,041 pupils as of July 31 this year.
Notably, 4,222 classes located in rural and remote areas serve 79,393 pupils, representing over 36% of all preschool students.
Technical and Vocational Education and Training programmes have achieved remarkable graduate employability rates rising from 99.16% in 2022 to 99.91% in 2024.
The Ministry of Education has created a special pathway for high-achieving Vocational College graduates to pursue teaching degrees at Institut Pendidikan Guru Malaysia.
This year, 50 out of 95 eligible candidates secured placements at the Sultan Mizan campus in Terengganu and the Tun Hussein Onn campus in Johor.
This initiative directly addresses the need for more early childhood teachers while further strengthening TVET graduate employment prospects. – Bernama