Malaysia’s Government AI Programmes AI untuk Rakyat, MyMAHIR & More

Artificial intelligence is no longer an elite tool for tech companies. It’s now part of our everyday life — from using ChatGPT to automating business tasks. 

In Malaysia, the government is serious about making sure AI is not just for orang kaya or big companies. It’s for rakyat biasa too.

This blog explains in detail Malaysia’s most important government-led AI initiatives: AI untuk Rakyat, MyMAHIR, Rakyat Digital, and Microsoft’s AI for MY Future programme. 

All these programmes aim to build AI understanding, skills, and readiness across society — from students and teachers to business owners and civil servants.

Read More: Learn AI in Malaysia: Courses, Careers & Government Programs

National AI Office: Who Running the Show?

The core organisation behind all these initiatives is the National Artificial Intelligence Office (NAIO) under MyDIGITAL. They create Malaysia’s AI strategy, monitor AI development, and work with partners like Microsoft and Intel. NAIO has working groups focused on different goals: AI governance, AI awareness, industry collaboration, etc.

One of the main aims is to promote AI literacy. This means everyone — not just IT people — should at least understand what AI is, how it works, and how it impacts jobs, economy, and daily life.

AI untuk Rakyat: AI Education for Everyone

What is it? AI untuk Rakyat is the flagship programme by the government to introduce Malaysians to AI in a simple, free, and friendly way. It launched in January 2024 and is managed by MyDIGITAL and Malaysia Centre 4IR, with content support from Intel.

Who is it for? Anyone with an email address can sign up. No coding or tech skills needed. It’s made for normal people — students, teachers, hawkers, retirees. The content is available in Bahasa Malaysia, English, Tamil, and Mandarin.

What do you learn? The programme is split into two modules:

• AI Aware: Learn what AI is, where it is used, and how it affects society.
• AI Appreciate: Case studies of AI in use — like in farming, healthcare, or transport.

Each module takes about 2 hours. Total time: 4 hours. Got quiz also. If you pass, you get a digital badge you can show off on LinkedIn or resume.

How to Register?

1. Go to rakyatdigital.gov.my  or ai.gov.my 
2. Click “AI untuk Rakyat”
3. Register with your email or Google account
4. Choose language, start module, pass quiz

Why does it Matters? The goal was to reach 1 million completions—and Malaysia actually passed 1,000,000 on June 5, 2024, less than six months after launch. It’s helping citizens not be scared of AI, but to see how they can use it at work, in school, or daily life.

MyMAHIR: Skilling Up the Workforce

What is MyMAHIR? MyMAHIR is a national talent platform managed by TalentCorp. It connects Malaysians to in-demand skills, career roles, and training pathways. In May 2025, MyMAHIR also launched the National AI Council for Industry (NAICI).

Features:

• Career exploration: More than 60 roles like AI technician, data analyst, digital marketer.
• Skills mapping: See what skills are needed per job.
• Training providers: Find suitable courses from recognised institutions.
• Council feedback: NAICI collects input from industry to keep courses updated.

Who Should Use It?

• Students looking for future-ready jobs
• Mid-career workers who want to upgrade skills
• HR teams mapping employee training paths

Strengths

• It’s practical. Show you real job roles and the courses you need.
• It links policy with industry demand. The AI Council helps align what is taught with what is needed.

Weakness?

• The platform must update fast. AI changes quick-quick.
• Promotion is not strong. Many people still don’t know this site exists.

Rakyat Digital Portal: Free Courses All in One Place

What is Rakyat Digital? This is a central portal managed by the Ministry of Digital. It offers free courses on various digital topics, including AI, cloud computing, and cybersecurity.

Key Courses:

• AI untuk Rakyat (linked from here also)
• Cloud untuk Rakyat: Understand basics of cloud tech.
• CyberSAFE untuk Rakyat: Online safety and digital hygiene.
• Generative AI: Intro to how AI creates text, images, etc.

How to Use It:

• Go to rakyatdigital.gov.my
• Register with email
• Pick course
• Complete and get certificate or badge

Why Important? Some people maybe already know AI, but don’t know how to use tools like Google Cloud or understand cybersecurity. This portal helps everyone go further than just awareness.

Good Things:

• Free, no strings attached.
• One portal for all digital literacy courses.

To Improve:

• Need more awareness campaigns.
• Some courses, quite basic, should add medium-level ones too.

AI for MY Future (Microsoft): Deeper, Industry-Level Training

What is this programme? Microsoft, in partnership with the Malaysian government and NGO Biji-biji, launched this to train 800,000 Malaysians in deeper AI skills by 2025.

Programme Components:

• Online self-learning platform
• In-person workshops across different states
• Special track for policymakers
• Certifications at end of training

What Can You Learn?

• Prompt engineering (how to talk to AI)
• AI for business use
• Cloud-AI tools (Azure)
• Ethical AI, bias awareness

Who Should Join?

• Tertiary students
• Civil servants
• SMEs and professionals

Why It’s Powerful Because Microsoft brings global tools, certification, and credibility. Participants can say they are “Microsoft AI Certified” — which helps in job applications or promotions.

Any Issues?

• Must make sure it reaches rural users too
• Learning curve a bit steeper compared to AI untuk Rakyat

Comparison Table

How PRESS Can Support AI Programme Engagement

What We Do:

• Design PR campaigns to get more Malaysians to sign up
• Do community outreach in rural or B40 areas
• Help government bodies write press releases, infographics, content
• Track public feedback and suggest improvement for awareness

If you’re a ministry, university, or agency rolling out digital programmes and need proper visibility, as a PR Agency, PRESS can help you get traction.

Conclusion: AI Is for All, Not Just Tech Experts

Malaysia’s government is doing solid work to bring AI to the people. From entry-level awareness via AI untuk Rakyat, to deep learning through Microsoft’s programme, there is a clear roadmap.

But policy alone is not enough. People must know, care, and act. Tools like MyMAHIR and portals like Rakyat Digital need better communication support and more hands-on promotion. This is where PRESS and other comms partners play a key role.

The AI revolution is already here. Malaysians don’t need to wait. Just register, learn, and apply.