By Joanna Tan · AI in APAC · October 15, 2026

Malaysia has used its newly tabled Budget 2027 to put concrete numbers behind its goal of becoming an “AI Nation” by 2030, with the Ministry of Digital outlining plans to produce 200,000 AI-skilled individuals alongside a raft of programs aimed at spreading AI access from classrooms to small businesses.

Tabled by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim under the theme “Reaching for the Skies, While Anchored on Our Values,” the RM510 billion budget (roughly $115 billion) allocates RM459.8 billion in direct government spending, with government-linked investment companies and public-private partnerships contributing a further RM36.2 billion combined.

The Digital Ministry says it will lean on AI Malaysia Bhd to build out high-skilled AI talent, digital infrastructure, and what it calls “secure and ethical” AI governance — language that places the push squarely within Malaysia’s broader national AI strategy. Concrete targets include training and certifying 5,000 AI professionals, and channeling Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) funding to help 4,000 micro, small and medium enterprises adopt AI and automate their operations.

The plan reaches well beyond the tech sector. More than 300 pondok (Islamic boarding) schools will receive devices and digital-skills training for teachers and students, through a collaboration between MDEC and the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia. A further 100,000 free subscriptions to popular AI apps, including ChatGPT, will be made available, with youth a particular focus, while the existing Digital Rakyat Platform continues to offer free access to more than 16,000 online courses via Coursera. The DE Rantau Nomad Pass, which brings international tech talent into the country, will also be extended by two years for existing holders who have hit its original limit.

Taken together, the measures signal that Malaysia sees AI capability — not just AI access — as a matter of national strategy, with workforce skilling and small-business adoption treated as building blocks alongside the infrastructure and governance pieces already in motion.

Source: Malay Mail, “Budget 2027: Digital Ministry targets 200,000 AI-skilled individuals in push for AI Nation by 2030”, 11 October 2026 (Bernama).

Joanna Tan covers AI investment, policy, and the business of AI for AIAPAC.ai Insights.