Malaysia is aiming to position itself as an artificial intelligence leader within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
To accomplish this goal, the country has facilitated the signing of a new partnership agreement between local energy provider YTL Power International Bhd (KLSE: YTLPOWR) and global technology leader NVIDIA Corp (NASDAQ: NVDA) (ETR: NVD).
The collaboration, which will result in the establishment of robust AI infrastructure powered by clean energy, is being backed by a US$2.35-billion-dollar investment.
“This mega project includes the development of an AI data centre, the use of powerful NVIDIA GPUs, and most importantly, the creation of Malaysia’s own sovereign large language model!” said national Minister of Investment, Trade & Industry — Tengku Zafrul.
Zafrul and Malaysian lead Anwar Ibrahim recently met with NVIDIA chief executive Jensen Huang in Kuala Lumpur to chat about the newly established deal.
“This is proof that every discussion and meeting YAB PM [Ibrahim] holds at the international level is not just ’empty talk,’ but the start of investments that will transform our country’s economic and technological landscape!” Zafrul added.
This meeting followed a previous formal discussion between Ibrahim and Huang about the country’s AI potential in late 2023.
Petang tadi saya telah mengadakan perbincangan penuh bermakna bersama Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif NVIDIA Corporation, Jensen Huang dan Pengarah Urusan YTL Power, Dato’ Yeoh Seok Hong.
NVIDIA adalah sebuah syarikat teknologi multinasional dan telah menjadi perintis dalam… pic.twitter.com/8C3nDAHeNm
— Anwar Ibrahim (@anwaribrahim) December 8, 2023
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AI to reshape local job market & unlock billions, ministers say
In relation to the country’s latest development, other government leaders have recently been voicing their positive sentiment about the impact AI can have on the nation.
Just days ago, Human Resources Minister Steven Sim said that artificial intelligence will create new job opportunities and reshape existing ones rather than take them away like certain citizens may fear. The Malaysian leader believes that a basic understanding of how AI works will become increasingly essential in nearly every domestic line of work.
“AI is transforming jobs, not eliminating them,” Sim stated. “Those who adapt and upskill will find more opportunities, not fewer.”
Moreover, Malaysia’s Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo just explained how he was of the impression that widespread adoption of artificial intelligence infrastructure would unlock over US$113 billion in productive capacity within the country.
“By driving innovation, enhancing decision-making and optimizing the use of precious resources, AI is not just changing industries — it is accelerating global development,” said the minister in a statement obtained by state media outlet Bernama.
He is eagerly awaiting the ASEAN Malaysia AI Summit next month in Kuala Lumpur and the Smart Cities World Expo in September — an urban innovation conference.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) drives progress and transformation. For emerging countries, however, we must intentionally shape our path forward. We need AI strategies tailored to our local needs that ensure inclusive technology adoption.
In my Keynote at the Emerging Markets and… pic.twitter.com/BUqhp3yg4G
— Gobind Singh Deo 🇲🇾 (@GobindSinghDeo) July 27, 2025
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