AI skills, training programmes, universities and jobs.
Deputy Finance Minister Liew Chin Tong on 5 November urged Malaysian accountants to become more multidisciplinary as AI reshapes the finance profession. According to Malay Mail, he said AI would displace some less sophisticated accounting roles but is likely to create others that depend on human judgement.
Hong Leong Bank has moved all 10 trainees in its graduating tech cohort into permanent roles, Fintech News Malaysia reported on 5 November. During their rotations the trainees deployed AI chatbots using Google's Agent Development Kit and worked with UiPath automation tools.
A study by Pearson and Amazon Web Services found that 69% of Malaysian employers find it hard to hire graduates with the right skills as AI spreads in the workplace. According to the New Straits Times, the report, launched in Kuala Lumpur, also found 77% of Malaysian learners believe they are ready for work, while 70% say university prepares them well.
Higher Education Minister Zambry Abdul Kadir told the Dewan Rakyat that his ministry aims to produce 30,000 AI-skilled graduates between 2025 and 2030. According to Malay Mail, citing Bernama, 30 specialised AI programmes at 11 public universities will help reach the target.
Tencent Cloud and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) have formalised a three-year collaboration on AI education and cloud skills, and ran a five-week hackathon built on problems set by Malaysian organisations, according to a Tencent Cloud press release on 21 September. Two winning teams will represent Malaysia at the company's global finals in Shenzhen.
The Digital Ministry says participants in AI for the People must complete and pass six modules to receive a free three-month subscription to selected AI applications. According to Malay Mail, the programme targets 100,000 Malaysians aged 18 to 30 until 2027 and starts in phases through the Rakyat Digital portal.
Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo launched an upgraded Rakyat Digital portal at the AI Malaysia Takeover 2026 event, with free generative AI access for 100,000 Malaysian youths. According to Digital News Asia, those aged 18 to 30 who complete selected modules get three months of access, starting from 31 August in four cohorts of 25,000.
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