September-October. 2025 |

To address this, the Ministry of Digital introduced the National Cloud Computing Policy( NCCP). It was officiated by Malaysia’ s Minister of Digital, Gobind Singh Deo, on Aug 13, during the ASEAN AI Malaysia Summit 2025( AAIMS25).

This policy serves as a strategic blueprint designed to ensure the nation’ s cloud future is secure, sovereign, inclusive, and sustainable.

RMK13 ALIGNMENT

The NCCP is a key framework that supports the 13th Malaysia Plan( RMK13). It is built upon five key pillars, strategically aligned to contribute to RMK13 ' s focus on economic resilience, sustainability, and inclusive growth.

■ Public Sector Transformation: Modernising government services through the adoption of cloud technologies.

■ Private Sector Growth: Driving innovation and enhancing competitiveness to boost economic growth, attract investments, and help businesses, particularly micro, small, and medium enterprises( MSMEs), expand their operations and compete globally.

■ Secure Data Protection and Privacy: Strengthening data security frameworks and compliance to build public trust, providing a secure foundation for digital services.

■ Digital Inclusivity: Extending cloud infrastructure to underserved areas and promoting digital literacy.

■ Environmental Sustainability: Promoting resource-efficient and environmentally friendly cloud practices. For instance, utilising green

▶ Malaysia launches National Cloud Computing Policy( NCCP) at AAIMS25

▶ RM10.5 GDP boost possible from increased cloud adoption by 2028

▶ Policy strengthens Malaysia’ s appeal for global cloud investments

CLOUD-READY:( From left) Deputy Minister of Digital Datuk Wilson Ugak Anak Kumbong, Minister of Digital Gobind Singh Deo, and the Secretary-General Fabian Bigar, officiating the launch of the National Cloud Computing Policy( NCCP).

data centres and monitoring energy consumption.

“ These pillars will drive the MADANI Economy, making AI advanced, inclusive, trusted, and built for purpose,” remarked Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri

Anwar Ibrahim.

The NCCP also works in tandem with the Malaysia Cyber Security Strategy( MCSS). It safeguards data sovereignty and builds trust in Malaysia’ s cloud systems.

ECONOMIC POTENTIAL

The NCCP is central to the MyDIGITAL initiative and the Malaysia Digital Economy Blueprint. It’ s designed to transform strategic planning into measurable economic progress.

According to a joint study by the Asian Development Bank Institute( ADBI) and Amazon Web Services( AWS) projects, increasing cloud adoption by just one per cent could boost Malaysia’ s gross domestic product( GDP) by as much as RM10.5 billion. This figure signifies new jobs, greater opportunities, and a more resilient future for the nation.

“ Looking ahead, by accelerating our cloud strategy from 2024 to 2028, we have the potential to unlock a staggering RM110 billion in additional economic value,” said Gobind.

The policy has made Malaysia an attractive hub for global technology companies. In fact, major international players are investing billions of ringgit in the country’ s digital infrastructure. This includes setting up new cloud regions and data centres.

With the NCCP in place, Malaysia is set to become a leading regional cloud and digital hub by 2030.

MALAYSIA ' S inaugural ASEAN AI Malaysia Summit 2025( AAIMS25) kicked off with a series of announcements. These set a new standard for AI collaboration and innovation in Southeast Asia:

■ AI Class ASEAN: A free learning platform launched by the ASEAN Foundation with Google ' s support. It aims to equip 5.5 million people across ASEAN Member States, including 400,000 Malaysians, with practical AI literacy skills. It targets 800,000 local leaders and promotes ethical, accessible, and inclusive AI engagement for youth, educators, and parents.

■ AMD Developer Cloud: Advanced Micro Devices( AMD) is providing 100,000 GPU hours, along with access to top-tier CPUs, GPUs, and the open ROCm platform to Malaysian researchers and developers.

■ AI Computing: MaiStorage introduced an AI computing-atthe-edge solution that makes AI affordable and accessible. Powered by aiDAPTIV +, Intel ® Core ® Ultra Processors, and Intel ® Arc™ Graphics, it delivers AI capabilities to laptops and PCs. Thus, eliminates the need for expensive servers or complex cloud systems.

■ APAC AI Ecosystem Initiative: Huawei Technologies has launched a three-year plan to establish Malaysia as a regional AI hub. The programme will train 30,000 AI talents, support 200 local partners by connecting top AI companies with local innovators.

The summit, according to Malaysia’ s Minister of Digital Gobind Singh Deo, should be remembered as the moment ASEAN decided to take action in shaping the future of AI.

“ ASEAN will not be a passive observer in this transformation, but an active architect of a future where technology reflects our diversity, advances our shared prosperity, and upholds our values,” he remarked. @ ND