Artificial intelligence-ready talent is crucial for industries and Malaysia’s economic future, said Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz

He said the ministry (Miti) has already discussed this issue with the Ministry of Higher Education.

“We are collaborating to ensure that the talent pipeline, starting from universities, is well-trained in AI. This will ensure that as industries adopt AI, they will have skilled professionals ready to join their companies,” he told reporters at the AI Conference 2024 today.

Tengku Zafrul said Miti is actively working on this initiative and plans to present its ideas to the finance minister, particularly for the upcoming budget, to support AI development and adoption in the country.

“The AI incentives mentioned are crucial for fostering talent. Under the National Industrial Master Plan (NIMP 2030), there are initiatives aimed at enhancing tech adoption, with a target of reaching 3,000 companies.

“These companies need to be AI-ready, and support is essential, especially for local small and medium enterprises, to adopt the latest technologies, including AI. This forms part of the broader plan.”

Separately, Tengku Zafrul highlighted the pivotal role of semiconductors in supporting Malaysia’s reindustrialisation under NIMP 2030 and the digital economy.

He noted that, as of July 2024, almost 40% of Malaysia’s exports, amounting to RM51.78 billion, were from the electrical and electronics (E&E) sector, largely due to semiconductors.

“Malaysia’s E&E industry produces 13% of the world’s back-end semiconductors, driving 40% of the country’s export output and contributing approximately 5.8% to the GDP in 2023,” he said in his speech.

AI Conference 2024, themed ‘AI Driving the National Economy: Opportunities & Challenges’, was held at Brickfields Asia College. The event brought together industry leaders, government officials and AI experts to discuss the transformative impact of artificial intelligence on Malaysia’s economy and productivity.

Malaysia Productivity Corporation director-general Zahid Ismail highlighted the significant productivity gains driven by AI, noting a 2.05% year-on-year increase in productivity as of March.

“Sectors more exposed to AI are experiencing nearly five times greater labour productivity growth. Despite Malaysia slipping in the World Competitiveness Ranking to 34th place, recent improvements in trade, with a 10% increase as of May 2024, demonstrate the country’s resilience and potential for recovery,” he said.

Zahid stressed that AI-driven growth is key to enhancing national productivity and economic strength.

Source: The Sun

AI-ready workforce crucial for Malaysia’s economic future, says Tengku Zafrul

Sarawak is making significant strides in sustainable forest management and renewable energy, positioning itself as a leader in environmental stewardship, says Deputy Premier Datuk Awang Tengah Ali Hassan.

Speaking at the Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on Forest Landscape Restoration, Awang Tengah said that Sarawak’s titles of “Asean Battery” and “Green Energy Hub” were not just rhetoric. 

“Sarawak has the necessary resources and is actively working towards realising these visions.

“Our unwavering commitment to sustainability is clearly reflected in our comprehensive green economy initiatives,” he said.

Sarawak is at the forefront of Malaysia’s transition to a low-carbon economy, pioneering efforts in Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production and exploring advanced carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) technologies. 

“By embracing these innovative solutions, Sarawak is not only mitigating climate change impacts but also creating new industries and high-quality jobs,” he added.

Awang Tengah, who is also Sarawak’s Second Minister for Natural Resources and Urban Development, said the state had shown its dedication on sustainable development, prioritising environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles. 

This commitment is central to Sarawak’s goal of becoming a developed region by 2030.

Regarding forest conservation, Awang Tengah stressed on Sarawak’s dedication in protecting its 130-million-year-old rainforest which is rich in biodiversity. 

Under the Sarawak Land Use Policy, 7 million hectares of forest are allocated for sustainable forestry and conservation purposes.

Despite the challenges posed by climate change and deforestation, Sarawak is committed to sustainable forest management (SFM) and has implemented best practices in this area. 

“SFM is crucial for balancing economic, social, and environmental well-being, enhancing local livelihoods, creating employment, and safeguarding the environment,” he said.

To ensure adherence to international sustainability standards, Sarawak has mandated that all long-term forest timber licences obtain Forest Management Certification (FMC). 

To date, 26 Forest Management Units (FMUs) and eight Forest Plantation Management Units (FPMUs), covering 2.38 million hectares and 122,800 hectares respectively, have been certified.

Awang Tengah also highlighted Sarawak’s leadership in the Greening Malaysia Campaign, a national initiative aiming to plant 100 million trees by 2025. 

Sarawak set a goal to plant 35 million trees by 2025 and achieved this target a year ahead of schedule. 

“This achievement is a testament to Sarawak’s commitment to environmental stewardship,” he said.

Source: NST

Sarawak leads green revolution with bold environmental initiatives

Sarawak’s pumped hydro energy storage (PHES) potential is high and could potentially contribute to the focus on renewables and green solutions for the state, said Dato Sri Julaihi Narawi.

The Minister for Utility and Telecommunication said two potential sites have been identified for proof-of-concept studies, and a successful first model will assist in identifying more sites.

“One of the facilities is envisioned to be developed between our Bakun and Murum hydroelectric plants. The other facility will be built in the Padawan area of Kuching,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Julaihi, who is currently leading a Sarawak delegation to Australia, believes the potential application of PHES in the state, once proven to be feasible, ‘is large’.

The delegation is in Australia to study the country’s energy transition and sustainable development journey, specifically its experience with PHES.

“Even beyond PHES, Sarawak and Australia can learn from one another with potential areas of collaboration and partnership driving the energy transition in the respective regions.

“Sarawak will potentially apply these relevant aspects to the state’s own energy transition policy and plan with the support ofP4I,” he said, following a meeting with Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Partnerships for Infrastructure (P4I) in Australia.

With the support of Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB) as the implementing agency, the Ministry of Utility and Telecommunication has been driving the shift to renewables with an emphasis on renewable hydropower development, he added.

Julaihi informed the delegation host that Sarawak had first embarked on its energy transition programme with the launch of the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) in 2008, harnessing the state’s hydropower potential to power Sarawak’s growth and development.

“In 2021, Sarawak also launched the Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030, which has identified renewable energy as a key enabler for Sarawak’s transformation into a high-income society by 2030. Under PCDS, Sarawak is also exploring various renewable energy resources or technologies available.

“To progress, we have been tasked with achieving 10 gigawatts by 2030, from 5,745 megawatts of energy as of December 2023,” he said.

The Sarawak government is confident that it will achieve the goal by continuing to advance sustainability and renewable strategies, including leveraging resources such as solar, biomass, and hydropower, with the latter being the foundation of the state’s energy transition.

Among those present were SEB chief operating officer James Ung and Australian National University Prof Andrew Blakers.

Source: Borneo Post

S’wak’s PHES potential high, could boost renewable focus, says Julaihi

Based on projected advancements in energy transition technology, Malaysia needs 62,000 skilled workers to achieve the goal of generating up to 70% or 56 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2050, said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.

He said that this is a continuous process and new competent workers for the energy sector will be produced each year.

“The deputy minister will be tasked with focusing on these training programmes. They will go to every corner, especially in the peninsula, to attract more young people to get involved in these fields (gas and energy),” Fadillah told reporters at after the launch of TVET Competent EC – Energy Transition Catalyst today.

He said that achieving the goals of the Net Energy Transition Roadmap requires not only investors but also skilled workers to implement the energy transition goal effectively.

“If we don’t have knowledgeable and skilled workers in these technical fields, we will not be able to achieve this, including the wireman installing solar panels on rooftops, the chargeman for installing cables, and so on. We need skilled workers,” he said.

Fadillah said that unlike the construction sector, where he was previously involved in, specialised fields such as energy and gas offer higher salaries due to the need for specific expertise.

“TVET, especially in the energy and gas fields, is specialised, and because it is specialised, their salaries are better than in other sectors. They can’t get a job if they are not competent. This is different from a general plumber.

He added, “The demand in the market is quite high.”

A memorandum of understanding between the Energy Commission and the Energy Commission of Sabah (ECoS) was signed during the event, aiming to harmonise governance and regulation concerning competencies, electrical equipment and gas between the federal and state governments.

“In Malaysia, we have three energy authorities: the Energy Commission in Peninsular Malaysia, ECoS and Sarawak Energy Sdn Bhd.

“We want to ensure there is cooperation between the federal level in Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah and Sarawak so that it can be harmonised. It’s not just about standardisation, but the whole competency process should be unified; it shouldn’t be different in Sarawak, Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia,” he said.

The Energy Commission organised the TVET Competent ST event as part of its initiative to strengthen technical and vocational education and training programmes in the country, particularly activities related to electrical and gas pipeline competencies.

As of August, a total of 140 institutions across Malaysia have been accredited to conduct electrical and gas pipeline competency courses.

The event also aims to build professional relationships between regulatory agencies and institutions, and to reinforce the platform for continuous education in line with green technology advancements and government directions.

Source: The Sun

Fadillah: 62,000 skilled workers needed to achieve renewable energy generation goal

Seventeen more data centres will be operational in Selangor by next year, with a development cost of RM52 billion, said state executive councillor for Islam and innovation Dr Fahmi Ngah.

He said many firms are looking to invest in the industry as nearly the whole state is covered by the 5G network, improving ease of business.

“This figure (17 data centres) is a new application and we will complete it. This will not include the data centre developed by Google at Elmina Business Park, worth over RM9 billion.

“We have an extensive 5G network, which increases investor confidence. Many businesses deal in the digital world and we must utilise it,” he said during the Sembang Santai programme organised by the Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) here today.

He said he expects 100 per cent 5G network coverage in the state next year, in line with Selangor’s status as the nation’s largest economic contributor.

“This is essential infrastructure. We must provide various facilities to contribute to and drive the economy,” he added.

Last year, the Selangor State Development Corporation signed a memorandum of understanding with Singapore firm RDA Ventures Pte Ltd to build three data centres in Cyberjaya.

With stakeholders including MDEC and the Malaysian Investment Development Authority, the data centres will create jobs in the fields of electronics, computer science, statistics and administration.

Previously, state executive councillor for investment, trade and mobility Ng Sze Han said various parties are interested in Selangor, which hosts 18 data centres, but the state must look into aspects such as energy supply.

Source: Selangor Journal

Backed by extensive 5G network, Selangor to build 17 more data centres

The collaboration between Nvidia Corporation and YTL Power International can strengthen the artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure and ensure that AI technology in Malaysia is in line with the needs and cultural values ​​of the country, said Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz.

Tengku Zafrul said through a post on social media platform X that this collaboration could open up opportunities to develop a large language model in Bahasa Melayu and bring the fastest supercomputer to Malaysia, which will be located at the YTL Green Data Center Park, Johor, which is generated by solar energy.

“With its hi-tech AI infrastructure, Malaysia is on the right track to become a regional AI hub,” he said.

This effort is in line with the country’s aspirations under the New Industrial Master Plan 2030 (NIMP 2030) to become a ‘cloud-first’ country, strengthening the local AI ecosystem.

Initiatives like this will harness innovation, create opportunities for local talents in the technology sector, as well as attract more international investments and expertise, thus strengthening Malaysia’s position on the global stage in the field of AI.

Source: Bernama

Nvidia-YTL tie-up to boost Malaysia’s AI infrastructure – Tengku Zafrul

The latest investments by Amazon Web Services (AWS) underscore that Malaysia has much to offer to foreign businesses that go beyond tax incentives, said an economist.

Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd chief economist Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid said its strategic location, infrastructure, talent pool, and pro-business policies are among its key attractions.

This has resulted in the government not having to rely too much on tax incentives to attract foreign investors and businesses.

“Having said that, the type of the incoming investments have to be well diversified. In the best possible way, the government has to avoid over-concentration in sectors because this leaves the country vulnerable to a sudden change in the investment waves,” he told Bernama.

Yesterday, AWS announced a US$6.2 billion (RM29.2 billion) investment in Malaysia as part of its long-term commitment through to 2038.

This investment accompanies the launch of its AWS Asia Pacific (Malaysia) Region, providing developers, start-ups, entrepreneurs, and enterprises in Malaysia with greater options to run applications and serve end users from local AWS data centres.

The construction and operation of the new AWS Region is estimated to add approximately US$12.1 billion (RM57.3 billion) to Malaysia’s gross domestic product and will support an annual average of more than 3,500 full-time jobs through to 2038.

Today, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that as part of this new relationship, AWS has signed a cloud framework agreement with the government to boost cloud adoption within the public sector.

Afzanizam added that the proliferation of data centres suggested that Malaysia could create a niche technology space and the country has already established its footprint in the semiconductor industries.

“There has been a move to uplift skillsets by promoting integrated circuit design. On that note, Malaysia has the potential to be Asia’s data centre hub, given its land mass and infrastructures,” he said.

Meanwhile, Malaysian University of Science and Technology’s economics professor Geoffrey Williams said Malaysia has the space to host more data centres; the real issue is to ensure there were spillovers to the local economy.

“Data centres are largely automated and will not create many long-term jobs. The profits will be repatriated by the foreign owners so the benefits may not stay here,” he said.

On concerns about data centres’ high usage of water and electricity, which are cheaply available in Malaysia, Afzanizam said this should be viewed from a holistic approach with the country’s green economy transition.

“This means rationalising electricity subsidies and promoting renewable energy. Perhaps, carbon trading and carbon tax are policy options that can be leveraged to have a win-win solution.

“I am sure data centre operators are well aware of this development,” he said, adding that there is common ground between the government and data centre operators.

Similarly, Williams said recent the foreign direct investment inflows have been mainly in the technology sector and these require specific resources.

The National Energy Transition Roadmap will raise renewable energy generation and because renewable energy is cheaper, this will help foreign companies to use low-carbon electricity which they cannot get at home.

“So they may be environmentally sustainable if they use renewable energy but this will put pressure on local resources which could raise costs for local communities. In that sense, they may not be socially sustainable,” he said.

Source: Bernama

Amazon Web Services investment underscores Malaysia’s many attractive offerings

The long-term investment made by Amazon Web Services (AWS), a subsidiary of Amazon.com Inc, shows investors’ confidence in the stability and policy of the MADANI Economy, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim

Anwar, via his X social media account, welcomed AWS to Malaysia and said “we are excited about the potential of this new investment and the potential for innovation resulting from tech transfer and learnings.”

Yesterday, AWS announced that it has launched the AWS Asia Pacific (Malaysia) Region with plans to invest about US$6.2 billion (about RM29.2 billion) in Malaysia through 2038.

The company said developers, startups, entrepreneurs and enterprises, as well as government, education, and non-profit organisations, will have greater choices for running their applications and serving end users from AWS data centres located in Malaysia.

Anwar, who is also the finance minister, said AWS’s investment is among the largest investments made by global technology companies in Malaysia.

“This follows a number of other recent investments announced since December 2023 by global technology leaders such as NVIDIA, Google, Microsoft, Infineon and many more. These investments recognise the achievements made by the MADANI government to create and curate an attractive, open and transparent investment environment,“ he added.

Furthermore, Anwar said as part of this new relationship, AWS has signed a Cloud Framework Agreement with the government to boost cloud adoption within the public sector.

Through the announcement by AWS, he said the global cloud technology company would invest to build physical data centres in Malaysia as the country becomes one of Amazon’s trusted 34 launched regions across its global infrastructure map.

“Over 3,500 Malaysian jobs will be directly created from these new data centres. These jobs, including construction, facility, maintenance, engineering, telecommunications and others within our broader economy, will be part of the high value AWS supply chain,“ he added.

Source: Bernama

AWS investment in Malaysia shows confidence in MADANI Economy – PM Anwar

Amazon Web Services (AWS) says it has launched the AWS Asia Pacific data centre in Malaysia to help local businesses and organisations run their applications closer to home and serve their users more efficiently.

As part of its long-term commitment, AWS is planning to invest an estimated US$6.2 billion (about RM29.2 billion) in Malaysia through 2038.

The construction and operation of the new AWS data centre is estimated to add anout US$12.1 billion (RM57.3 billion) to Malaysia’s gross domestic product (GDP).

It will also support an average of more than 3,500 full-time equivalent jobs at external businesses annually through 2038, AWS said in a statement today.

These jobs – including construction, facility maintenance, engineering, telecommunications, and others within the country’s broader economy – will be part of the AWS supply chain in Malaysia.  

Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz said the launch of an AWS infrastructure data centre here provides access to new and emerging technology for Malaysian entities and businesses of all sizes, boosting the country’s capabilities for digital innovation.

“This milestone is a significant step towards fulfilling the vision of Malaysia’s New Industrial Master Plan (NIMP) 2030 to build a highly skilled, innovative, prosperous, inclusive, and sustainable economy,” he said in the statement.

“We recognise the transformative power of digitalisation, cloud computing and AI as key drivers in Malaysia’s effort to become a manufacturing and services hub within Asia.  

“As the largest investment made by an international technology company in Malaysia, the AWS infrastructure data centre will help ensure Malaysia remains competitive on the global stage,” he added.

AWS vice president of infrastructure services Prasad Kalyanaraman said the new AWS data centre in Malaysia enables organisations across Asia Pacific to unlock the full potential of the world’s most extensive and reliable cloud.

This will help customers deploy advanced applications with a broad set of AWS technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). 

“Malaysia’s rapidly growing digital economy requires access to secure, resilient, and sustainable cloud infrastructure.

“With today’s launch, AWS is proud to support Malaysia’s digital transformation and help accelerate its role as a regional hub for AI,” he noted.

With the launch of the AWS Asia Pacific (Malaysia) data centre, AWS now has 108 availability zones across 34 geographic regions.

The company has also announced plans to add 18 more availability zones and six additional AWS data centres in Mexico, New Zealand, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand and the AWS European Sovereign Cloud.

AWS data centres are composed of availability zones that place infrastructure in separate and distinct geographic locations.

The AWS Asia Pacific (Malaysia) data centre consists of three availability zones located far enough from each other to support customers’ business continuity, but near enough to provide low latency for high availability applications that use multiple availability zones.

Each availability zone has independent power, cooling, and physical security, and is connected through redundant, ultra-low-latency networks.

AWS customers focused on high availability can design their applications to run in multiple availability zones to achieve even greater fault tolerance.

Source: NST

Amazon launches data centre in Malaysia, part of US$6.2bil investment here

The launch of the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Asia Pacific (Malaysia) Region will allow local businesses to store and process their data within the country, said AWS Malaysia country manager Pete Murray in an interview with Digital Edge. This will facilitate faster application performance and better user experience can be achieved through reduced latency.

The AWS Region will enable businesses of all sizes to access cloud-based services, which empower them to scale and compete at a global scale, said Murray. AWS also plans to collaborate with local technology partners to develop solutions and services.

The total investment associated with the AWS Region from 2024 to 2038 will be RM29.2 billion. This investment is estimated to contribute RM57.3 billion in gross domestic product during the same period. Additionally, more than 3,500 jobs are expected to be created.

The region consists of three availability zones, which are data centre clusters that have independent power, cooling and physical security that are connected through ultra-low latency networks.

“Large enterprises, critical industry participants [and] regulated industries like financial services, healthcare [and] the public sector are now able to localise the data that they use…. In addition, we’ve also seen this as very exciting for start-ups and digital native community who are able to leverage the lower latency as well as data localisation here in Malaysia but be able to go global,” said Murray.

“One of the key and critical strengths of public cloud technologies is this concept of being able to go global in minutes.”

Industries that will benefit from the AWS Region include telecommunications, data centre operations, non-residential construction, electricity generation and security services for the data centres, which consequentially will have a ripple effect on the country’s broader economy, said Murray.

Murray also reiterated AWS’ commitment to provide training and resources to help local businesses to utilise the technology. Currently, AWS Malaysia has trained over 100,000 individuals in cloud skills.

The company will also take measures to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions. AWS also aims to power their operations with 100% renewable energy by 2025 and achieve net-zero carbon emissions across its operations by 2040.

“AWS has multiple initiatives to reduce the carbon impact of the concrete required in the construction of data centres. Our new design standards require concrete that has 20% reduction of embodied carbon versus standard concrete in our US data centres. We expect to expand this requirement globally,” said Murray.

Source: The Edge Malaysia

AWS Region: Boosting local data storage and reducing latency for businesses