KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia has unveiled a series of strategic collaborations to accelerate its ambition of building inclusive, AI-driven smart cities, marking what officials described as a milestone in the country’s digital transformation journey.
At the Smart City Expo Kuala Lumpur 2025 (SCEKL25) today, three Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) and one Letter of Collaboration were exchanged in the presence of Digital Minister Gobind Deo Singh.
The agreements, involving Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB), the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), and global technology players, aim to embed artificial intelligence (AI) and 5G technologies into urban planning, sustainability, and public services.
Datuk Azman Ismail, chief executive of DNB, said the collaborations were about laying “the foundation for AI-powered cities, inclusive digital ecosystems, and a skilled public sector”.
“Together, we are not just imagining the future—we are building it,” he said.
MDEC’s chief executive Anuar Fariz Fadzil stressed that digital progress must remain people-centred.
“If we hold onto this principle, we can harness AI as a force for good—ensuring its benefits reach everyone: government, large enterprises, SMEs, youth, and communities across the nation,” he said.
The first MoU, between DNB and Ericsson, launched a training programme to upskill civil servants in artificial intelligence, 5G, and the Internet of Things. Ericsson’s Malaysia chief David Hägerbro said government employees would be “a key driver” of Malaysia’s ambition to become a leading AI nation.
A Letter of Collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) was also signed to co-develop a national AI Cities platform integrating cloud and machine learning to enable real-time governance.
The third MoU brought together DNB, MDEC, and the Malaysian Smart City Alliance Association (MSCA) to develop frameworks and standards for AI Cities, focusing on mobility, digital citizen services, and sustainable solutions.
“This partnership is a commitment to transforming how Malaysians live, work, and interact in their cities,” said MSCA chairman Ts. Dr. Raslan Ahmad.
The final agreement, between MDEC and Dell Technologies’ AI Innovation Hub, will establish a climate AI testbed in Penang’s UNESCO World Heritage Zone to predict environmental risks and safeguard cultural heritage.
Dell’s Malaysia and Indonesia managing director Sumash Singh said the projects showed Malaysia was “not standing on the sidelines of digital transformation—it is leading the way as ASEAN’s convener of inclusive, future-ready smart cities”. — September 18, 2025
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