(Kuala Lumpur, 26th) Scholars believe that Malaysia Digital 2030 (MD2030) needs to focus on high-value sectors to ensure its goal of creating 500,000 digital jobs contributes to raising the average income of Malaysians.
Dr. Mohamad Saberi, Chief Executive Officer and Director of the Institute of Data Innovation and Artificial Intelligence (IDEA-AI), said that job opportunities in fields such as AI and data science have the potential to offer competitive salaries.
He told Bernama recently that if high-skilled local talent cannot be cultivated, there may be an oversupply of low-wage digital jobs, and strategically important key positions will be occupied by foreign experts.
"Through various initiatives such as MD2030, the National Artificial Intelligence Action Blueprint 2026-2030, and the Vision to become an AI Nation by 2030, our country has a solid foundation to achieve the target of 500,000 digital jobs."
"However, true success should not be measured by the number of jobs created, but by our ability to cultivate high-skilled AI and digital talent who can take on high-value positions and increase Malaysians’ incomes."
Mohamad Saberi said that, in fact, Malaysia is still facing a digital talent gap, especially in the fields of AI, machine learning, cybersecurity, data analytics, and cloud computing engineering.
He pointed out that although a large number of graduates are produced every year, industry feedback generally reflects difficulties in finding employees with practical skills and hands-on work experience.
He explained that, in the implementation of MD2030, human capital development must become a priority, including strengthening science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education, expanding digital technology training, and increasing upskilling programs.
In terms of public spending, he believes achieving the goal of saving RM4.5 billion through government tech (GovTech) initiatives is feasible, provided workflow transformation is pursued, but the dependence of government agencies on legacy systems is currently the greatest technological challenge.
He also said that for small and medium enterprises, AI has the potential to reduce operating costs, but the most critical obstacle at present is the owners’ lack of knowledge and implementation strategies.
In terms of the higher education ecosystem and human capital development, Associate Professor Dr. Mohamad Shahrizan from the Applied Computing and Artificial Intelligence Department, School of Computing, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), said that ensuring graduates are not left behind by rapid technological developments is a key challenge for institutes of higher learning.
He pointed out that according to MD2030 data, only 39% of employees are highly familiar with AI tools.
He mentioned that Talent Corp projects that about 620,000 employees will be affected by economic and technological shifts, showing that modern employment competitiveness now requires additional value beyond traditional academic qualifications.
He explained that while the traditional degree framework is still crucial for developing deep professional knowledge, it must be combined with flexible micro-credential mechanisms to keep up with the rapidly evolving industry.
"Curricula should be divided into two layers: the first layer is relatively stable foundational knowledge such as mathematics, statistics, computer science, data, critical thinking, ethics, AI security, and AI governance."
"The second layer is application-oriented content, which can be adjusted through electives updated each semester, industry projects, micro-credentials, professional certifications, and internships."
Mohamad Shahrizan said that the employment challenge faced by graduates today is no longer a lack of theoretical knowledge, but rather an inability to apply knowledge to solve complex problems in real work environments.
"In view of this, higher education transformation needs to achieve a paradigm shift. Strategic cooperation with industry should not merely play a supporting role, but ought to be a necessary condition for cultivating digital talent equipped with future competitiveness and the ability to compete on the global stage."