9th October 2026 - 2 min read
The government will add 100,000 more free AI subscriptions for young people under Budget 2027, following high demand of the programme. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the programme will also be expanded to cover new AI apps such as ChatGPT.
The free AI subscriptions are part of a wider set of digital and AI measures Anwar announced in Budget 2027. Through Platform Rakyat Digital, Malaysians can also access free digital courses with Coursera. Anwar said these include more than 16,000 courses and Professional Certificate programmes from leading universities and industry organisations.
Anwar said the government is planning a Sovereign AI Cloud so that citizens’ data and the country’s strategic information remain under Malaysian control. RM6 billion has also been allocated across ministries for research, development and turning ideas into products.
AI Malaysia Berhad will receive nearly RM15 million to strengthen a safe and ethical AI ecosystem, with a target of 200,000 AI-skilled workers. Meanwhile, MDEC will get a RM30 million fund to help 4,000 SMEs adopt AI and automate their operations. The fund will also be used to train and certify 5,000 AI professionals.
Anwar said Malaysia has been recognised at Tier 1 for its readiness to protect data from future quantum computer attacks. The National Cyber Security Agency (NACSA) and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) will develop local data protection technology that can stay safe from quantum computer attacks, and will strengthen CSCDC Berhad.
He added that MyDigital ID now has more than 14 million registered users across 203 public and private services, and that Malaysia will host the FIRA RoboWorld Cup next year.
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Christina writes about personal finance with an eye for making the complicated feel straightforward. She is drawn to the everyday money decisions people face and genuinely enjoys finding the clearest way to explain them. Between articles, she is probably napping, on a hiking trail, or terrorising her sister’s cats.
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