position the country as a safe, well-regulated innovation destination. |
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WHY IT MATTERS |
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AI contributes trillions of dollars to global GDP.
Malaysia ' s collaboration with Nvidia, which has already included commitments to AI data centre development and talent cultivation, is a catalytic force in elevating Malaysia ' s economic complexity.
TENCENT
Anwar ' s engagement with Tencent executives reflects Malaysia ' s push into the creative economy, digital entertainment, cloud services, and platform-driven SMEs.
Tencent expressed strong interest in deepening its footprint in Malaysia, pointing out that the country ' s stability and growing digital market make it " an ideal base for cloud expansion and digital content distribution across ASEAN."
Three strategic opportunities emerged from the dialogue:
■ Creative & Gaming Economy Tencent Games sees potential for Malaysia as a development and localisation hub. With Malaysia ' s young population and high digital adoption rates, the gaming industry could become a multi-billion-ringgit contributor.
■ Cloud & Data Infrastructure Tencent Cloud discussed expanding its Southeast Asia capabilities, aligning with Malaysia ' s ambitions to attract more hyperscaler investments.
■ Digital SMEs Tencent ' s ecosystem— from WeChat Pay to its enterprise solutions— could open new channels for local SMEs seeking access to Chinese and global markets.
Anwar reiterated the importance of ensuring that foreign players contribute to local value creation: " We welcome global partners, but every partnership must uplift Malaysian firms, create jobs and expand opportunities for our youth."
ORACLE
Anwar ' s discussion with Oracle ' s Executive Vice-President for Japan and Asia-Pacific( JAPAC), Garrett Ilg, centred on enterprise cloud, cybersecurity, financial technologies, and digital government capabilities.
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Ilg commended Malaysia ' s direction, saying Oracle recognised " Malaysia ' s exceptional potential to lead in secure cloud adoption and enterprise digital transformation."
Oracle is a cornerstone in missioncritical systems for governments and banks worldwide. Its growing interest in Malaysia signals strong confidence in Malaysia ' s governance, economic prospects, and regulatory environment.
Malaysia ' s pursuit of a robust digital government— integrating data interoperability, secure cloud adoption, and automation— aligns perfectly with Oracle ' s strengths.
For industries, Oracle can help modernise manufacturing, supply chain management, logistics optimisation, and ESG reporting— key priorities for Malaysia ' s export-driven economy.
Anwar stressed the need for reliable infrastructure and cyber trust: " Digital progress must rest on a secure foundation. Malaysia is committed to regulatory clarity, data security and high governance standards."
BINANCE
Beyond AI and cloud, Anwar has signalled interest in the future of finance, including Web3, blockchain and digital asset frameworks— areas where Binance has global influence.
Changpeng Zhao praised Malaysia ' s measured approach to digital assets, noting: " Malaysia is taking practical steps to ensure innovation can happen safely, with strong consumer protections."
The discussions touched on:
■ Training Malaysians in blockchain development.
■ Strengthening Malaysia ' s digital asset regulatory ecosystem.
■ Potential Web3 hubs or incubators in Kuala Lumpur.
■ Using blockchain for transparency and traceability in public services and agriculture.
Digital assets remain a fast-moving, sometimes volatile domain, but they also represent a long-term global shift in financial infrastructure. Malaysia ' s measured engagement could
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Anwar with Garrett Iig
“ Malaysia has immense digital potential, supported by strong leadership ready to embrace a modern economy.”
- Garrett Ilg( Oracle)
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Anwar ' s meetings represent a strategic pivot in Malaysia ' s economic diplomacy:
■ Competing for global investments in the AI age: Countries are racing to attract GPU farms, hyperscalers, robotics firms, and fintech hubs. Malaysia is signalling that it intends to compete— not from the sidelines, but from the frontlines.
■ Energising Malaysia ' s industrial transformation: AI, cloud and digital assets are not separate agendas— they are interconnected enablers of economic complexity, green transition, and highervalue industries.
■ Building Malaysia ' s talent and innovation capacity: Anwar ' s conversations all revolved around skills, training and capability development. Malaysia cannot achieve its ambitions without a digitally skilled workforce.
■ Reinforcing confidence in Malaysia as an investment destination: When CEOs of the world ' s largest tech firms meet the Prime Minister personally, global markets read it as a vote of confidence.
■ Aligning Malaysia with future markets: The technologies discussed— AI, cloud, gaming, Web3— are sectors projected to dominate global growth over the next decade.
Malaysia must not only participate but lead.
A GROWING CHORUS
A striking common theme emerged from these separate engagements: global leaders view Malaysia as a country with momentum, clarity of purpose and attractive fundamentals.
■ Jensen Huang lauded Malaysia ' s " clarity of direction " in energy-efficient computing.
■ Google described Malaysia as " a country with immense digital potential, supported by strong leadership."
■ Binance ' s CZ emphasised Malaysia ' s " balanced, forward-looking framework."
■ Tencent executives highlighted Malaysia ' s " readiness to scale across ASEAN."
Such endorsements matter. They help shape investor sentiment, accelerate market confidence, and amplify Malaysia ' s presence on the geopolitical stage.
NEW DIGITAL CHAPTER
Anwar Ibrahim ' s recent tech diplomacy is more than a series of high-profile meetings. It forms the blueprint of a new economic narrative: Malaysia as a rising digital powerhouse in Asia.
The engagements with Nvidia, Tencent, Oracle, Binance and others are strategic building blocks. They represent Malaysia ' s determination to seize the opportunities of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, build a resilient tech ecosystem, and empower a new generation of Malaysian innovators.
As Anwar remarked recently: " We are not merely catching up; we intend to lead. Malaysia will not be left behind in this era of transformative technology."
The world is watching— and increasingly, responding. @ ND
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