Salutations

1. Mr Justin Chin Managing Director, Gamuda Engineering

2. Ms Serene Sia Country Director, Google Cloud Singapore & Malaysia

3. Mr John Lim Ji Xiong Group Chief Digital Officer, Gamuda Berhad Gamuda and Google Management Team,

Distinguished Guests & Representatives from the industry,

Media friends,

Ladies and Gentlemen.

Salam Malaysia MADANI, and good morning to all of you.

1. I am pleased to be here today to officiate the Gamuda Artificial Intelligence (AI) Academy. This is a timely collaboration between two giants, with a very important goal – to help build Malaysia’s AI talent pool.

2. I must thank Google, once again, for your confidence and trust in Malaysia. Your USD 2 billion data centre and cloud region facility is expected to generate over USD 3.2 billion in economic impact and create 26,500 jobs by 2030. The series of investments by Google, and other tech giants in recent months, underscores Malaysia’s attractiveness as a premier destination to global investors.

3. Malaysia's tech ecosystem is booming, thanks to the MADANI government's strategic initiatives and commitment to turn the nation into a leading digital economy in the region, if not globally. There is a lot of positive sentiment at the moment, and Malaysia's digital economy is expected to contribute 25.5%, if not more, to the country's GDP by the end of 2025.

4. Just two days ago, World Bank reported that it has upgraded Malaysia’s economic growth forecast to 4.9% for this year, from its initial forecast of 4.3% set in April. Its lead economist for Malaysia, Apurva Sanghi said that Malaysia is projected to reach high-income nation status by 2028, or earlier provided the ringgit’s performance stays at current levels.

5. All this bodes well for our country but we cannot be complacent. We need to continue raising the bar in transforming Malaysia into a regional AI hub. This includes establishing a skilled workforce to satisfy the growing demands of the tech industry.

6. It’s all very well for us to drive the digital agenda in our pursuit of AI excellence and boosting our digital economy, but we must always ensure that no one is left behind, that our policies and initiatives are inclusive and holistic.

Ladies and gentlemen,

7. Earlier this week, I attended two events, one related to women in tech while the other was on AI technical and vocational education and training (TVET). I spoke about the need to encourage and inspire young girls, youths and persons with disabilities to pursue AI and other tech-related courses and career paths, to support the government’s mission to build a high-quality and inclusive digital workforce.

8. I would like to reinforce this call of inclusiveness by bringing your attention to the Ministry of Digital’s ‘AI Untuk Rakyat’ initiative. Launched in January this year, over 1.3 million Malaysians have participated in this ongoing online AI awareness programme. I wish to highlight that ‘AI Untuk Rakyat’ is dyslexia- and blind-friendly. These options are available once you log in to the website.

9. I know for a fact that I am speaking to a crowd who would understand and appreciate the significance of such initiatives. Also, I know that your company understands the importance of a diverse and inclusive workforce, as I have been informed about the good work done by Yayasan Gamuda through your community programmes.

10. I have been told that your Enabling Academy offers an Employment Transition Programme that provides pre-employment training and job placement support for adults with autism to achieve sustainable employment. I've also been informed about Yayasan Gamuda's collaboration with the Orang Asal community on sustainable resource management.

11. I am happy to note too that Google is no stranger to promoting inclusivity. The company has expanded 'Mind the Gap', their global outreach programme that encourages girls and women to pursue tech careers. Google has also improved workspace accessibility in its offices, as highlighted in its Diversity Annual Report 2024. In Madrid, Google has installed Braille-enabled floorplans, ‘You Are Here’ maps, and audio induction loops to support wayfinding in common areas. In fact, I am told that the Google office has a selection of meeting rooms with ‘loose’ furniture, which supports users of varied physical abilities to configure spaces in ways that help the company's differently-abled staff work most effectively.

12. I commend the work carried out by these two organisations. I hope that both your organisations take it a step further through the Academy which is also under Yayasan Gamuda.

13. As such, I would like to see an increased interest and participation of AI-related lessons among our youths, especially young girls, and across all communities, including the Orang Asal, nationwide.

14. I would also like to see people with disabilities being offered a chance to pursue a career in the tech world, and to narrow the digital gap. They should be empowered to contribute to the talent pool who can then assist businesses to embrace and utilise AI and other digital technologies to enhance their operations.

Ladies and gentlemen,

15. I am excited to hear about the technologies that has been making waves in the construction industry – from autonomous tunnel-boring machines, to the use of digital twins in creating interactive virtual representations of physical buildings.

16. This is, however, only the tip of the iceberg, given the fast pace of digital adoption. Modernising the workforce and keeping up with the latest developments is absolutely crucial, to avoid falling behind. The Ministry of Digital takes talent development very seriously.

17. We have several ongoing initiatives, like the Premier Digital Tech Institutions (PDTI) by the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) to help expand the talent pool, by bridging the gap in the supply and demand of workers by working with both academia and the industry.

18. Equipping our youths with the right skills, especially in this digital era, is also something our Prime Minister Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim is very concerned about, as he has repeatedly called for more AI-related lessons and TVET training in school and other learning institutions.

19. The Gamuda AI Academy clearly supports this vision, and I have been told that the Academy provides a full-stack development course for students who will then develop the engineering knowledge sufficient to build an AI application from start to end. At the end of the 3-month bootcamp, students are able to pursue their own career opportunities or apply for internships at one of many Google Cloud partners and customers. This is most encouraging and I do hope that you can roll out more programmes in the near future, to address other industry needs that may arise.

Ladies and gentlemen,

20. Such public-private partnerships are pivotal to strengthening the digital ecosystem in Malaysia. I am pleased that Gamuda, a leader in the engineering and construction industry, and a global technology player like Google, is deeply invested in local talent growth.

21. The Gamuda AI Academy opens up a pathway for graduates and those in employment to reskill over the course of 3 months, which is ideal for those unable to commit to conventional education. I encourage Malaysians, local companies, government agencies and startups to take this opportunity to reskill or upskill, and stay relevant in the face of an evolving jobs market.

22. With that, I once again commend Gamuda and Google on this endeavour. If we can all work together and put our minds to it, I’m confident that we are well on our way to transforming Malaysia into a high-technology and high-income nation.

Thank you very much.

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