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MALAYSIA has officially launched its Strategic Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure, marking what Deputy Minister of Communications Teo Nie Ching, described as “a national declaration” of intent to lead the AI era “on our terms, with trusted partners, and with the wellbeing of our people at heart.”
Officiating the event in Cyberjaya, the Deputy Minister commended the partners involved—Skyvast, Huawei and Leadyo—for choosing Malaysia as the pilot country for the initiative. “It is a decision that recognises not only our readiness but also our potential to lead, to scale, and to share in a future of innovation that delivers tangible and equitable benefits to all,” she said.
In her keynote address, Teo underlined that Malaysia had long harboured ambition, talent, and policy will, but had been hindered by dependency on foreign infrastructures and limited access to high-performance computing.
“The global AI race will not wait… If we do not act decisively, we risk becoming perpetual consumers of technologies defined by others, running on infrastructure governed by others, under laws written by others.”
That tide is now turning, she added. “This infrastructure represents far more than technology—it is also a strategic national asset.”
Malaysia becomes the first nation to activate national-scale Ascend GPU-powered AI servers, with a phased rollout of 3,000 chips by 2026 forming the backbone of the country’s AI grid.
The AI cloud, led by Skyvast, will offer AI-as-a-Service (AIaaS) and GPU-as-a-Service (GPUaaS), democratising access to advanced AI tools for startups, government agencies, researchers, and everyday Malaysians.
Other firsts include the deployment of DeepSeek, an open-source large language model (LLM), under Malaysia’s jurisdiction, and the establishment of a Trusted Data Zone linking Cyberjaya, the Perlis Advance Tech Park, and Shanghai Lingang.
“This is the first time Malaysia demonstrates that the AI era can be inclusive, interoperable, and multilateral,” Teo said, noting that the Perlis-based off-grid data centre is the largest of its kind in the region.
The infrastructure is built not solely for industry but for society at large. It promises high-value jobs, secure local governance of data, enhanced public services, and greater equity in access to digital opportunities.
“For businesses, it unlocks powerful and affordable AI tools… for the rakyat, it means new career opportunities and the assurance that our national data is protected.”
Citing a 35 per cent rise in national data consumption over the past three years, Teo underscored the urgency for localised infrastructure.
“This is a core mandate of the Ministry of Communications… to safeguard our national infrastructure, digital sovereignty, and public interest in the digital age.”
She also positioned the launch as a “policy breakthrough”, laying the groundwork for the forthcoming National AI Framework, operationalising the MyDIGITAL blueprint, and accelerating public sector digital transformation.
On the international front, the launch deepens Malaysia’s bilateral partnership with China through the co-development of cross-border AI infrastructure.
“Malaysia is honoured to co-develop a new model for cross-border AI governance, infrastructure, and innovation,” she said. “Our collaboration is not only timely but deeply strategic.”
With today’s developments, Malaysia is poised to become ASEAN’s “AI anchor nation”, a trusted digital jurisdiction, and a global launchpad for sovereign, equitable AI.
“Malaysia’s AI leadership will not be measured solely by compute power, but by our integrity, fairness, and how we protect our people,” Teo said in closing. “Let us develop not just AI for Malaysia but trusted AI from Malaysia—to ASEAN, to the GCC, and to the world.” - May 19, 2025
