Malaysia is targeting as much as MYR20 billion ($4.7 billion) a year in additional economic output from artificial intelligence (AI) by 2030 and wants to shift from building data centres to applying AI across its economy.

Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil made the statement at the WAIC CONNECT Malaysia 2026 in Kuala Lumpur on September 7-8.

Under the government’s National AI Action Plan 2026-2030 (AI Nation 2030), Malaysia aims to add 0.8 to 1.2 percentage points to annual GDP growth, equivalent to MYR13-20 billion annually. Malaysia also aims to create 300,000 to 500,000 AI-related jobs, Fahmi said.

Fahmi said progress should be measured by economic value rather than computing capacity alone. Malaysia must distinguish between hosting digital infrastructure and becoming a country that develops, deploys, and applies AI, the minister highlighted.

He emphasized AI usage in semiconductors and electronics, advanced manufacturing and logistics, supply chains, healthcare, agriculture, and public services.

Fahmi also welcomed a plan by Huawei to train 30,000 Malaysian AI professionals and develop 200 local AI partners over three years.

Huawei’s Asia-Pacific president Terry He said Malaysia was on track to host about two-thirds of Southeast Asia’s data-center capacity by 2035 and could become a regional AI hub.

China’s ambassador to Malaysia, Ouyang Yujing, said Chinese technology firms were investing heavily in Malaysia’s AI and data-center sector. AI is becoming a growth engine for China-Malaysia cooperation, the diplomat added.

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