MALAYSIA WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT REGIONAL DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT AND AI - PM ANWAR

PUTRAJAYA, May 22 (Bernama) -- Malaysia, as the chairman of ASEAN 2025, will continue to support the development of digitalisation and artificial intelligence in the region, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

He said Malaysia, together with ASEAN, should be more competitive in the digital hub sector, with Malaysia having gained a competitive reputation through political stability and clarity in its policies.

“The thrust of our ASEAN chairmanship has been for energy transition, and we have been quite successful with Vietnam and Singapore on this power grid. But the focus, the thrust of our chairmanship, has been digital transformation

“And this will lead to what we will be addressing this weekend when we meet ASEAN leaders, then together, with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and also China,” he said in his speech at the MaiStorage Technology official launch here today.

Also present was Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook and MaiStorage founder and group chief executive officer Datuk Pua Khein Seng.

Anwar said the role played by government agencies such as MITI, TalentCorp, and the Selangor state government in supporting MaiStorage has brought success not only to the company but also to the country.

"I remember we (he and Pua) met early last year and in August (last year), decided to enter, and in October operations started, and today we see the results, including its profits. To ensure greater progress, there are several challenging sectors we must explore, and we are fortunate because a local talent (Pua) has already ventured around the world and built a globally successful industry, the Phison Group," he added.

MaiStorage, which is part of the Phison Group - a supplier of NAND flash controllers and storage solutions co-founded by Pua - is a technology provider specializing in integrated circuit (IC) design and storage, focusing on data centres, AI applications, and the automotive industry in Malaysia.

In addition, Anwar emphasised the importance of effective policy implementation and good governance to ensure sustainable outcomes.  "Our biggest challenge is effective implementation. That’s why my team and I focus early on governance issues. With discipline, clear policies, and a transparent, corruption-free execution, we can make Malaysia a premier destination for investment in AI and digital fields," he said.

--BERNAMA