Digital Transformation Must Be Balanced With Strong Values, Identity - Anwar

NILAI, Aug 23 (Bernama) -- Malaysia’s aspiration to become a leading developing nation, including in digital transformation, must go hand in hand with the strengthening of values, identity, morality, religious conviction and culture, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

He said technological advancement in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI) must also be balanced and should not widen the gap between the rich and poor, or between those with knowledge of AI and those without.

“AI, for example, is not easy, not cheap, and it carries risks. If we simply copy or adopt what is produced by foreign countries such as the United States, Europe or China, we will not be able to safeguard our faith, morals and cultural values.

“So, we must train our children to understand what digital and AI are, and then be able to develop initiatives that suit our way of thinking. We can take from every country, but we must defend our values and culture. This is what is meant by training and mastery of new technology,” he said.

He said this when launching the Negeri Sembilan edition of the Program MADANI Rakyat (PMR) 2025, which was also attended by Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun, Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo and Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, here today.

He said digital transformation is also expected to enhance productivity and service delivery to the people, in order to avoid the “productivity paradox”.

“Let us not spend heavily on AI and digital technology only to see no increase in productivity and no improvement in services to the people,” he said.

The Prime Minister also praised the proactive steps taken by several universities, including Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Multimedia University and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, in establishing AI faculties or introducing related courses.

Earlier at the event, the appearance of AI presenters, Aini and Ecah, featured in the opening montage, captured visitors’ attention, with the innovative presentation offering a fresh and more interactive experience in line with current technological developments.

-- BERNAMA