SPEECH BY
YAB DATO’ SERI ANWAR BIN IBRAHIM
PRIME MINISTER OF MALAYSIA
FOR
GOOGLE’S MANTAP MALAYSIA BERSAMA AI
1 OCTOBER 2024 (TUESDAY) | 9.00 AM
THE ST. REGIS, KUALA LUMPUR
Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh dan
Salam sejahtera.
Rakan saya Ruth Porat dan pasukan Google;
Rakan-rakan Menteri;
Yang Berhormat Menteri Besar; dan
Saudara saudari yang saya muliakan.
- Sekali lagi kita menyaksikan suatu acara dan perkembangan yang sangat membanggakan. Telah diberikan perhatian sebagai suatu gelanggang pelaburan yang bermakna untuk mengangkat keupayaan kita dalam bidang digital. Jadi saya percaya dalam kerangka Ekonomi MADANI, salah satu tunggaknya dan bersama dengan beberapa dasar yang kita umumkan dari sudut pelan perindustriannya, digitalnya, dan hijau, itu dapat kita penuhi dengan penyertaan Google.
- Saya lebih tertarik kerana mendengar pandangan-pandangan dikemukakan terutama pasukan Google dan juga Tengku Zafrul. Ia serasi dengan dasar kita. Peningkatan digital dan AI, kehijauan, satu kegiatan yang mengambil kira keperluan semasa, digital inklusif dan tidak meninggalkan seluruh kelompok masyarakat. Jadi satu permulaan yang sangat bermakna bagi negara kita apa lagi dengan kehadiran Ruth Porat sendiri untuk bersama memberi dokongan ini.
Ministers, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentleman,
- Now I must first express my profound gratitude to Ruth and her team for giving this support. When I first met her in New York and following that, in San Francisco, I can sense the seriousness of Google looking at their past experience, and commitment and also success in this field. Following that instructed my team to focus and listen to them and see what is required to ensure that Malaysia becomes an effective destination for the investments. That would mean not only benefit to the industry, but more so to be able to prepare Malaysia in this field, benefit the rakyat and ensure that we become a successful nation to harness the full potential of technology for economic advancement. Strategic policy interventions are essential and we need their input.
- That is why I must express my thanks to Ruth because your team has been extremely helpful working with our team as colleagues, because there are areas that you have far excelled and advanced. I make no apology, but this is a reality. But we remain very committed and to ensure that we do achieve this, we have to listen, make judgements, legal framework, policy guidelines or prescriptions, the ecosystem. All these issues must be dealt with and efficiently executed through this sort of collaboration. So, thank you again and come again to Malaysia and believe our trusted allies and friends.
- We also aim to position Malaysia as a hub for Generative Artificial Intelligence and investments from tech partners will be critical in building a robust and secure digital infrastructure. Driving Malaysia towards AI leadership, the MADANI Government launched the AI Talent Roadmap for Malaysia (2024-2030) and the Malaysia-Artificial Intelligence Consortium (MAIC) as a concrete pathway towards AI advancement. Yes, we took the initiative but we cannot deny the fact that these initiatives are introduced after series of discussions with the industry including and particularly so Google. That is precisely the reason why I take extra paid to mention your role, your collaborative role to give the necessary input based on your past experience with other countries.
- Yes, the difference is being that we have in our leaders, our team, Tengku Zafrul, Gobind Singh, Anthony Loke, Fahmi Fadzil and the state. We have the humility, and we acted fast enough because we want Malaysia to succeed and we believe and trust Malaysian. Malaysian companies, Malaysian civil society, having the capacity to absorb this and bring up our nation as a successful vibrant economy and hopefully the best in the region. Now in line with efforts to present Malaysia as a competitive player in the global AI landscape, the Government is establishing the National Artificial Intelligence Office. Again, on existence and suggestion, or many of these companies because they require this office to coordinate all initiative related to AI technology.
- Insya-Allah, in the next 12 months, we aim to achieve several key outcomes, including to complete AI Technology Action Plan (2026 to 2030). When I said 12 months, this is a suggestion by the Ministers. To me, there is no reason why you need to wait for 12 months, you should be able to complete in 6 months. Otherwise, we have to make some adjustment with the cabinet (in a joking tone). This include the regulatory framework to increase adoption of ethical and sustainable AI technology. We will also expedite AI adoption in key sectors across Malaysia.
- Now by leveraging partnership with industry leaders and strengthening collaboration among all stakeholders, Malaysia can realise this goals an establish its role as a leading ai driven nation in ASEAN. One of our priorities when we assume the championship of ASEAN will focus on the issue of digitalisation and the networking within ASEAN having this the prominent not only for Malaysia but the entire region and this is where we should be able to listen and to engage with the Google team to see ways we can expedite and accelerate proses.
- I would also like to underscore that the National Cloud Policy is forthcoming. Stressing four core areas then you can appreciate the difficulty that I’m struggling with I’m in the seventies league having to understand this new target technology now compel to try to understand what is seemingly great to me in the ai industry, but if I in my generation can try and learn in episode there is no reason for the younger Malaysians to be able to be given the opportunity to quickly advance and excel in this field. That’s why we have now and added policy to be able to ensure that Malaysia remains an attractive and deal with issues raise by the industry.
- The four (4) core areas I mention, first the MADANI government will boost public service, innovation and efficiency now this it’s particularly important and again precisely the reason why I have decided that after twelve years will make a major departure from the existing salary scheme to make sure that the Malaysia remains an efficient through an efficient public sector and that’s why the salary scheme will be implemented from the first of December and more important that with the revised of the scheme and level efficiency must also increase exponentially. The American say to enhance, but I say to enhance the capability.
- Now second, we seek to promote economic competitiveness and growth will economic expansion by enabling businesses, especially sme and start-ups to harness cloud technology for innovation, operational efficiency and access to global market. Third, we are committed to strengthening user trust and data security government will establish robe security frameworks and protocols to protect sensitive data and critical infrastructure in both public and private cloud environments.
- Finally, we will empower citizens through digital inclusivity our approach will be citizen centric and inclusive utilizing cloud technology to enhance the accessibility and efficiency of digital first public services. That means of digital has been task to spearhead Malaysia comprehensive Digital Transformation initiative.
Ladies and gentlemen,
- Embracing technology will allow government agencies to optimize processes, lower cost and serve the rakyat A notable example is the Ministry of Education’s creation of the DELIMa platform on Google’s cloud technology. Impressive and major contribution to enhance of the level education, the standard of education and the proficiency of our students, inquiring inquisition languages, particularly Bahasa and English.
- I am pleased to note that 5.5 million students and teachers in Malaysia today use the DELIMa platform to transform their educational experience. This effort should be emulated by the whole Government machinery, where appropriate. We will address this issue in the cabinet meeting tomorrow, insya-Allah and to alert my colleagues. Ministry of Education can adopt 5.5 million, there’s no reason why government departments cannot immediately embark of it. This is how we run the MADANI government.
- Our policies were attracting digital investments are clear by modernising Malaysia through these technological advancements, we will not only enhance efficiency and effectiveness, but also cultivate a culture of innovation and digital literacy they will permeate throughout the society, country and region, insya-Allah.
- From a regional perspective we will together with ASEAN we will position ourselves as a regional champion for digital policies that are forward-looking and transformative to promote a regulatory environment dan encourages technological advancement and to nurture cross border collaboration.
- I am encouraged therefore that a global tech company like Google to recognise the potential of our nation and a determination to contribute to our growth in a way that is sincere and environmentally responsible. I cannot overstress this, we have just heard di Google strategy, the inclusivity, the training, the collaboration with the students, the commitment to green technology and therefore I must state that we will continue to have partners who share our values towards a sustainable future.
- On this note, Ruth and the team, let me assure you that you have all our supports and thanks again Google for their confidence and contribution to Malaysia.
Terima kasih.