CYBERJAYA, Aug 18 — Principles of good governance and proper oversight must be firmly embedded in the development of artificial intelligence (AI) to ensure Malaysia’s digital transformation progresses effectively, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today.
Anwar, who is also finance minister, said that while AI and emerging technologies present vast opportunities, they must be approached carefully to avoid outcomes that could harm the country.
He also drew a comparison with the country’s past privatisation efforts, noting how a lack of transparency and poor governance turned some initiatives into costly failures.
“At that time, it wasn’t really ‘privatisation’ but more like ‘piratisation’ that bypassed proper processes, and what was the result? Many companies that were initially awarded projects with the hope of benefiting the country and the people ended up incurring major losses, which became significant national debts that the people had to bear.
“This is why, in all aspects of computerisation, digital transformation and AI development, the principle of good governance is essential,” he said at the Temu Anwar@Universiti Multimedia (MMU) programme and the launch of MMU Faculty of Artificial Intelligence and Engineering (FAIE) here today.
Anwar said the Madani Government has channelled large funds into the development of AI technology out of awareness and confidence that the technology can provide broad benefits to the country’s development.
In fact, he said the allocations set aside for the Communications Ministry, the Digital Ministry, the Higher Education Ministry, and other agencies, as well as for AI integration in schools, amounts to tens of billions of ringgit.
However, Anwar stressed that the country’s digital transformation must be governed by clear ethical standards, social justice and human values so the gap between urban and rural, rich and poor, and access to education does not widen.
“We must raise the ceiling by improving our technological capacity, and at the same time, raise the floor so that people at the grassroots benefit as well,” he said.
Meanwhile, Anwar also called on educators and academic institutions to ensure that human values remain embedded in education and the development of AI technology.
“Focus on AI technology must not neglect the human dimension. We must defend that,” he said.
Anwar also praised MMU for introducing FAIE, calling it a forward-thinking initiative that will help Malaysia face new digital challenges.
The faculty is focused on applied AI, aiming to produce graduates who are not only grounded in the theoretical foundations of AI but are also equipped with hands-on skills to design, implement, and integrate AI solutions across various industries.
Also present at the event were Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, and Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo.
