Malaysia Needs to Get Serious About A.I.

Published on 29 Jul 2025

“AI is not just a tool. It is infrastructure. If we do not build it, someone else will, and we will end up paying to access models we do not own, trained on data we cannot inspect, regulated by laws we did not write.”

In Malaysia Needs to Get Serious About A.I., Zaim Mohzani argues that while the country has entered the AI conversation, it has yet to take meaningful action. Comparing Malaysia’s hesitant and fragmented approach to the bold, infrastructure-led AI strategy of the UAE, the essay warns of the risks of inaction—from technological dependence to national security vulnerabilities. Mohzani outlines concrete recommendations including creating a Sovereign AI Grid, accelerating education reform, and giving the National AI Office true institutional power. The essay calls for urgent, decisive leadership to ensure Malaysia isn’t left behind in the global AI race.