PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia reinforced its commitment to building a sustainable, inclusive, and future-ready digital economy through a series of strategic engagements at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2026 in Davos led by Digital Minister, Gobind Singh Deo.
These discussions reflect Malaysia’s growing role in shaping global conversations on sustainable digital development — ensuring that innovation supports both economic growth and long-term sustainability, in line with the Madani Economic Framework.
At the WEF, Malaysia highlighted that becoming an AI Nation, as envisioned under the 13th Malaysia Plan, will require more than technology adoption. It will require the right legislation, regulations and new institutions to unlock the full benefits of digital technologies for the people.
Malaysia is advancing key enablers such as the proposed Data Commission, which will be instrumental in developing new growth areas through the use of data and mechanisms such as data sharing and data exchanges, while ensuring the responsible and safe use of data across emerging technologies, including AI, quantum and blockchain.
The Digital Ministry, in a statement today, said these approaches reflect Malaysia’s commitment to trust, safety, and readiness, and serve as Malaysia’s contribution to WEF’s efforts in shaping a sustainable and future-oriented global digital environment.
Malaysia also underscored that AI must deliver meaningful outcomes for society, including equity, access and affordability. The nation called for continued global cooperation to ensure cost-effective and responsible AI capabilities — particularly from more advanced economies — can be made available to the Global South and developing countries, so that no nation is left behind in the next wave of digital progress.
In this context, Malaysia is also proposing that AI adoption must be guided by measurable and tangible impact for citizens, ensuring that digital investments are channelled to the right areas and reach the people who need them most.
Malaysia further welcomed continued collaboration with WEF on emerging opportunities such as digital embassies — a forward-looking concept that can strengthen trust, resilience and sovereignty in the digital space. Malaysia and the WEF are working on a digital embassy framework, which is planned to be published in April. This initiative comes as Malaysia’s data centre ecosystem continues to grow, supporting jobs and investment, while reinforcing the importance of the sustainable development of digital infrastructure — ensuring that growth is resilient, energy-aware and aligned with long-term national priorities.
In addition, Malaysia advanced cooperation on Transitioning Industrial Clusters (TIC), where Malaysia's Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution and WEF recently published the “Industrial Transformation in ASEAN: A Cluster-Driven Model for Regional and Global Collaboration”, a playbook aimed at accelerating decarbonisation, job creation and economic growth through multi-stakeholder partnership, innovative financing, policy alignment and integration of new technologies.
The playbook also features cases from Bintulu Industrial Hub and Johor Transitioning Industrial Cluster, as scalable models for industrial collaboration in the region. As part of this effort, the first TIC in Malaysia is planned to be launched in Sarawak in June this year, marking an important milestone in translating global collaboration with the WEF into tangible outcomes for national and regional development.
"Moving forward, Malaysia will work with WEF to identify ways for digital transformation best practices and learnings can be shared across countries, helping accelerate progress in areas such as productivity, public services and sustainable development," the statement read.
"Malaysia looks forward to strengthening this partnership with WEF to drive sustainable digital growth that delivers real impact — at home, across the region, and globally."