Introduce Dedicated AI Technology Training Scheme To Upskill Malaysian Manpower, Says GKK Consultants

Oleh Mikhail Raj Abdullah

KUALALUMPUR, Oct 5 (Bernama) -- A dedicated artificial intelligence (AI) technology scheme should be introduced to train and upskill the country’s manpower so as to fully understand, apply and use AI across almost all professions in Malaysia.

The scheme is to ensure that the AI digital transformation is undertaken uniformly and across all business sectors, says Dr Gajendra Balasingham, founder and managing director of GKK Consultants Sdn Bhd.

GKK Consultants is a leading human resource training and consultancy firm in Malaysia with representation in ASEAN countries.

Gajendra said introducing a separate and universal incentive scheme could expedite Malaysia’s manpower capabilities and growth to be on par internationally and compete globally.

"This AI technology scheme will be especially applicable for the country’s micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), he told Bernama today.

This is vital as MSMEs  represent almost 97 per cent of all registered business companies nationwide.  

In 2025, the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) confirmed that MSMEs contributed around RM653 billion in Gross Domestic Product (GDP), this being almost 40 per cent of Malaysia’s total GDP.

To date, 8.10 million persons are employed by MSMEs, representing almost 49 per cent of Malaysia’s total employment.

They make up around 85 per cent of the services and manufacturing sectors, with almost 9 per cent in agriculture and 6 per cent in construction, mining and quarrying.

Overall, he said the MSMEs also contributed to the national economy’s overall growth rate of 5.1 per cent, therefore all the more reason for such an AI scheme to be particularly offered to the Malaysian MSMEs.

“The MADANI Government should be credited for all the incentives extended to the nation overall, and for the AI incentive in particular,” said Gajendra.

-- BERNAMA