KUALA LUMPUR: A total of RM6bil has been allocated under Budget 2027 to intensify research, development and the commercialisation of inventions across ministries.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said AI Malaysia Bhd would receive nearly RM15mil to strengthen a safe and ethical artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem, towards the target of developing 200,000 skilled AI professionals.
He said the RM30mil allocation for the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) would help 4,000 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) adopt AI and automate their operations, while also training and certifying 5,000 AI professionals.
"The Rakyat Digital platform also provides free access to digital courses through a collaboration with Coursera, offering more than 16,000 courses and Professional Certificate programmes from leading universities and industry organisations worldwide," he said.
Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, said this when tabling Budget 2027, themed 'Reaching for the Sky, Rooted in the Earth', in the Dewan Rakyat on Friday (Oct 9).
"Reaching for the sky while remaining rooted in the earth also means pioneering AI without compromising the country's values and security. I have often emphasised the importance of young people mastering the fields of the future, such as coding, data science and quantum technology," he said.
Following the encouraging response to free AI subscriptions for young people, Anwar announced that the initiative would be expanded with an additional 100,000 free AI subscriptions, including access to new AI applications such as ChatGPT.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister said the planned development of a Sovereign AI Cloud was aimed at ensuring that citizens' data and the country's strategic information remained under Malaysia's control.
"Malaysia is now recognised at the highest level, Tier 1, in its readiness to transition to post-quantum cryptography.
"The National Cyber Security Agency (NACSA) and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) will develop local data protection technologies capable of withstanding threats from quantum computers, while enhancing the capabilities of CSCDC Bhd," he said.
Anwar also said Malaysia's role as host of the FIRA RoboWorld Cup next year should serve as a platform to create opportunities for young talents and researchers to showcase local robotic inventions on the world stage.
On MyDigital ID, the Prime Minister said more than 14 million registered users had used the facility to access 203 public and private sector services, making it easier for the public to conduct transactions securely. – Bernama
