Making Malaysia’s AI budget deliver

Photo: Filepic/The Star

BUDGET 2026 unequivocally signals Malaysia’s all-in strategy on artificial intelligence (AI), positioning it as a core pillar of our national future. The financial commitments are broad and substantial, spanning a nearly RM5.9bil allocation for cross-ministry research and development, a RM2bil sovereign AI cloud, and various funds to spur industry training and high-impact projects.

This ambition is commendable, but ambition, even when well-funded, is no guarantee of success. The critical question now shifts from “what” to “how”, and it is in the execution where our grand vision will either take flight or falter.