KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s push to become an AI Nation by 2030 must deliver real livelihoods and wider economic participation for Malaysians, not just digital infrastructure and investment growth, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) chief executive officer Anuar Fariz Fadzil emphasised.
He said that the nation’s digital transformation agenda must be judged by how effectively it creates income opportunities, supports businesses and equips more Malaysians to participate in the digital economy.
“While infrastructure such as data centres, cloud capacity and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities remain important, the deeper test of success lies in how far digital transformation enables workers, creators, entrepreneurs and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to participate more meaningfully in the economy.
“Digital empowerment is not only about growth, but about ensuring that Malaysia achieves sustainable development alongside fair and equitable distribution across income groups, ethnicities, regions and supply chains,” he added.
He was speaking on the sidelines of the launch of Tik Tok’s Malaysia Socioeconomic Impact Report, officiated by Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir in Kuala Lumpur.
Findings from the report offered a useful snapshot of how digital platforms contribute to Malaysia’s evolving economy, particularly in areas such as social commerce, digital entrepreneurship and creator-led income generation.
According to the report’s estimates, Tik Tok contributed nearly 1% to Malaysia’s nominal GDP and roughly 4% to the digital economy, while supporting around 147,000 jobs nationwide. More than one million local businesses have been activated through its ecosystem, and over 100,000 MSMEs have been trained in digital skills through collaborations with organisations, which include MDEC.
Anuar said those numbers point to something structurally important. “What this tells us is that the barriers to economic participation are falling.
“A seller in Kelantan, a craftsperson in Sabah, a first-generation entrepreneur with no prior business network – they now have access to markets and audiences that simply did not exist for them a decade ago. That is what business digitalisation and digital livelihoods actually look like,” he said.
He noted that the creator economy data was particularly instructive: 35% of creators on the platform work full-time, 42% come from marginalised communities, and nearly half earn above the national minimum wage.
“These are not hobbyists. These are people who have built real income streams using digital tools. The question for Malaysia is how we can replicate this to happen at scale, across more platforms, more sectors, and more communities,” he explained.
He added that such outcomes reflect a wider shift in the digital economy, where platforms are lowering barriers to entry, widening market access and enabling businesses of different sizes to reach customers in ways that were previously far more difficult.
“What we are witnessing is not merely the growth of e-commerce, but a deeper form of digital empowerment, where trust, storytelling and engagement translate attention directly into economic opportunity,” said Anuar.
He added that this was in line with Malaysia’s broader AI Nation 2030 direction, which has increasingly been framed not just around attracting high-value investment, but around ensuring that digital progress improves productivity, strengthens competitiveness and creates broader-based opportunity.
“This includes enabling MSMEs to move up the value chain, building stronger digital capabilities across the workforce and ensuring that the benefits of the digital economy are more widely shared rather than concentrated in a few segments,” he said.
Anuar said that the findings reinforced the need for Malaysia to continue building a digitally skilled workforce that is able to participate in emerging forms of work and enterprise, especially as AI and digital tools reshape business models across sectors.
He said, “Talent and workforce readiness would remain central to the country’s next phase of digital growth. The emphasis on livelihoods, skills and inclusion is also closely aligned with national priorities under the 13th Malaysia Plan, which places importance on productivity, resilience and ensuring that no one is left behind as the economy becomes more digital.”
Anuar also commended Tik Tok for contributing to digital empowerment efforts, adding that continued collaboration between government, industry and the wider community would be important in building a digital economy that translates opportunity into real outcomes for Malaysians.
“As Malaysia continues its digital journey, the opportunities within the digital economy are substantial. Their true value lies in how they contribute meaningfully to Malaysia’s goal of building an AI Nation by 2030,” he said.
