SHAH ALAM, Aug 12 — The state government has been urged to establish the Selangor AI Council to coordinate artificial intelligence (AI) development by bringing together universities, industry players, technology companies, legal experts, researchers, entrepreneurs and state agencies.
Kota Kemuning assemblyman Preakas Sampunathan said the council would formulate a comprehensive AI strategy covering talent development, investment, public sector adoption, and support for small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
“I propose that the state government establish a Selangor AI Council, which can be led by a state executive councillor.
“We need a strategy on how we can produce AI talent, attract investment, encourage the use of AI in the public sector, help SMEs benefit from it, and ensure AI is implemented safely, ethically and responsibly,” he said during the Second Selangor Plan (RS-2) debate session at the Selangor State Legislative Assembly sitting here today.
Preakas also proposed establishing AI clinics for SMEs that may not have the resources to hire AI specialists.
He said Selangor’s development should be built on contributions from people of all backgrounds, adding that the state needs diverse talent to achieve its ambition of becoming an ASEAN hub.
“We need all the talent. We need talented Malay children, innovative Chinese children, brave Indian, Orang Asli, Sabah and Sarawak children. We need every Malaysian. AI will not ask what race a programmer is. Semiconductors will not ask what religion an engineer is,” he said.
Preakas added that Selangor should aspire to become a technology creator rather than just a user, as AI plays an increasingly important role across sectors including manufacturing, healthcare, finance, education, logistics and agriculture.
On August 7, Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari tabled RS-2, which would lead Selangor’s development from 2026 to 2030 and encompasses six missions involving 25 focus areas and 98 initiatives.
