Penang Island City Council (MBPP) has launched its Gen.AI chatbot called ChatMBPP.
Developed by MBPP’s Smart City Unit with input from all 19 internal departments, the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot supports four languages – Bahasa Malaysia, English, Mandarin and Tamil.
ChatMBPP can respond to queries and initiate actions such as generating complaint tickets and routing them to relevant departments automatically.
The system is also part of MBPP’s agentic AI phase, enabling it to not only respond but trigger internal processes.
Penang island mayor Datuk A. Rajendran said ChatMBPP was a game changer in public service delivery, offering round-the-clock access for users to obtain information, lodge complaints and use the city council services.
“It brings MBPP closer to the people and moves us towards a smarter, more responsive digital administration.
“It serves as a simple, fast and user-friendly digital platform that operates 24/7, enabling seamless interaction between the public and local authority.
“ChatMBPP is specifically designed to handle queries related to MBPP’s city management functions, including services, procedures, public complaints, enforcement, taxation and responsibilities.
“The initiative aligns with national efforts to build AI-driven cities and complements frameworks such as Penang2030 and the Malaysia Smart City agenda, while maintaining human oversight to ensure accuracy and quality,” said Rajendran.
Gen.AI was launched by Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow at Queensbay Mall, alongside Penang local government, town and country planning committee chairman Jason H’ng Mooi Lye and Digital Ministry secretary-general Datuk Fabian Bigar.
Chow said the launch represented a shift in how the government engaged with the public.
Chow said Penang, which contributed 44.2% or RM65bil to Malaysia’s exports as of January 2026, could no longer rely on traditional and slower administrative methods.
He added that the initiative laid the foundation for a “Penang AI City”, where data was used to improve quality of life in an inclusive manner, with ChatMBPP serving as a key entry point into that ecosystem.
The chatbot is built on Amazon Web Services infrastructure and is tailored specifically for MBPP’s scope of services, including city management, enforcement, taxation and public complaints.
Fabian said the move represented a new benchmark for local authorities, describing it as a model for how generative AI could be applied in public service delivery nationwide.
He added that Digital Ministry had approved a 5G grant to support the initiative, enabling faster, real-time responses through robust infrastructure.
