Huawei’s Big Bet on Malaysia: Building an AI Nation

By: Zenia Pearl V. Nicolas Talk about AI in Malaysia these days and sooner or later Huawei will be mentioned. The company has become a visible presence, not just selling tech but taking part in shaping how the country moves forward. It’s training local talent, setting up infrastructure, and trying to show that Malaysia can build its own place in the region’s AI future. Walk through Kuala Lumpur’s buzzing tech districts today and you’ll hear one word repeated often—AI. What was once a far-off promise has quickly become a national project. Malaysia, long known for its role in electronics and digital trade, is now determined to secure a place in the artificial intelligence economy. This urgency is clear in the government’s National Cloud Computing Policy (NCCP) and the recent creation of the National AI Office, both designed to provide a backbone for adoption. Private players are just as committed. Huawei, for example, has pledged to train 30,000 Malaysians in AI over the next three years, a move that signals how serious the country is about building not just infrastructure, but talent. Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo captured the spirit at the Huawei Cloud AI Ecosystem Summit:

“AI-driven productivity must benefit every Malaysian, with no one left behind, and we must be inclusive and work together.”

That idea, growth that lifts everyone has become the defining theme of Malaysia’s AI story.

What Life Looked Like Before AI Took Hold

A decade ago, the conversation around Malaysia’s digital economy centered largely on access. SMEs struggled to scale without advanced tools. Healthcare outside major cities relied on traditional diagnostics. Education reform was often slowed by resource gaps. Without AI, much of the economy leaned on imported technology and external expertise. Local professionals had limited opportunities to train in advanced data science or machine learning.

What Has Changed Since Then

These days, AI has stepped out of theory and into real use. In banking, for instance, machine learning is already at work catching fraud before it causes damage. Factories deploy predictive analytics to avoid costly breakdowns. Even schools are experimenting with personalized learning models that adjust to students’ strengths.

Huawei Malaysia CEO Simon Sun put it plainly:

“We have set the goal of nurturing 30,000 Malaysian AI talents, comprising students, government officials, industry leaders, think tanks, associations, and others under this initiative in the coming three years.”

The difference is striking. Malaysia is no longer waiting for global expertise, it is growing its own, and in the process, reshaping industries.

How Malaysia’s Path Differs from Others

Look westward, and you’ll see AI programs moving at breakneck speed. The United States pushes aggressive scaling, while China builds AI dominance through massive state-led projects. Malaysia is not rushing into AI. The country is moving carefully, making sure the changes work for its people. The focus is on being fair, keeping control of its own data and using AI in a way that makes sense locally. Instead of copying other countries, Malaysia is building an approach that fits its own needs. This is not about winning a race; it is about making sure the race has more than one finish line. As Aka Dai, Huawei Cloud’s VP of Marketing, told the ASEAN AI Summit:

“This region is not just a dynamic growth engine. It is a land of pioneers, eager for innovation.”

That sense of being pioneers, finding solutions that reflect local needs is where Malaysia stands apart.

Inspiring More Than Technology

Behind all the big announcements and policies, the real story is about people. It’s about students picking up new skills, doctors in small towns getting extra help through AI tools and small businesses finding ways to grow with cloud support. In the end, the real value of AI shows up in how it touches lives. Gobind Singh Deo offered a reminder worth holding onto:

“The future is now. We need to start thinking today about how to build an ecosystem that will ensure that, in five years, when new technology is rolled out, Malaysia is ready for it.”

It isn’t just for politicians or business heads. It’s for every Malaysian to ask themselves how they can help shape the country’s digital future.

The Human Core That AI Can’t Replace

AI can do many things, but it will never have what makes us human. AI can deal with information faster than we ever could, but it doesn’t know how to imagine, to feel or to care. Malaysia’s experience proves the point. The role of AI is to support people, not to take their place. In the end, it’s people who give technology its’ meaning and no machine can change that. These days, AI has stepped out of theory and into real use. In banking, for instance, machine learning is already at work catching fraud before it causes damage. Want to dive deeper into how AI is reshaping industries? Check out AWS Manufacturing Day – Thailand, September 2025 .

Sources

• Dashveenjit Kaur, , Artificial Intelligence New

• HR Asia,

SDX Central,