Malaysia’s AI Nation 2030 plan designates healthcare as priority “Impact Engine”

Malaysia’s prime minister, Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, announced the establishment of AI Malaysia Berhad on 28 July, a national artificial intelligence entity under the Ministry of Digital. The body formalises and expands the National AI Office, which was set up in December 2024, and is positioned as the coordinating structure behind the government’s AI Nation 2030 agenda.

According to the government, AI Malaysia Berhad will act as an apex body linking national AI policy with implementation, with responsibilities spanning policy coordination, monitoring of the National AI Action Plan 2030, development of governance frameworks and ethics codes, coordination of international AI partnerships, and serving as the country’s national AI Safety Institute function.

Alongside the launch, the government introduced the National AI Action Plan 2026–2030, built around 14 sectoral initiatives and 14 enabler initiatives. The enabler initiatives are grouped under five foundational areas: human capital, market-driven innovation, data and computing infrastructure, responsible governance, and sustainable financing and investment.

The government also confirmed the establishment of the Malaysia AI Safety Institute, intended to strengthen technical capacity by drawing on government, industry, academic and research expertise. The institute is structured around three pillars: research, development, commercialisation and innovation, including safety evaluation and red-teaming; strategic collaboration on talent and technology transfer; and governance and regulatory support, including standards and risk management.

A draft AI Governance Bill, described by the government as a risk-based legal instrument, is currently open for public consultation, with completion targeted by the end of 2026.

Gobind Singh Deo, Minister of Digital, said the establishment of AI Malaysia Berhad was a strategic move to integrate policy coordination and execution at the national level, and that the ministry remained focused on building AI development on a foundation of trust, safety and governance.

The initiatives were framed by the government as aligning with the Thirteenth Malaysia Plan and the Malaysia MADANI framework.