Malaysia outlines AI-driven strategy to transform Kuala Lumpur into regional smart city hub

Malaysia has identified Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a core pillar of its strategy to transform Kuala Lumpur into a leading smart city and strengthen its regional competitiveness within ASEAN, according to Malaysian Minister of Digital Gobind Singh Deo.

The minister outlined a comprehensive roadmap to develop the capital into a model AI-powered urban centre. This initiative forms part of the wider “Malaysia Digital 2030” strategy and aims to establish the foundations for a national “Smart Nation” framework, as reported by VNA, a partner of TV BRICS.

AI systems are already being deployed to manage real-time traffic flow, city surveillance, and environmental monitoring. One of the key innovations is the development of a “digital twin” of Kuala Lumpur – a virtual replica of the city that enables dynamic modelling of infrastructure, energy usage, transport, and public services. This digital environment is designed to support proactive urban planning, disaster response, and resource optimisation.

Gobind Singh Deo emphasised that robust digital infrastructure is essential for enabling AI solutions. The government is pursuing a cloud-first policy across all ministries and working to centralise and digitise public sector data to ensure it is accessible and AI-compatible.

The government aims to ensure Malaysia is technologically prepared within the next five years to support these transformations. The initiative also aligns with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s broader digital transformation agenda, which prioritises systemic readiness and cybersecurity in deploying new technologies.

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