Emphasis on AI to be sustained in 13th Malaysia Plan - Hanifah

KUALA LUMPUR: The development of artificial intelligence (AI) will continue to be emphasised in the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) to strengthen the country's capacity in this technology.

Deputy Minister of Economy Datuk Hanifah Hajar Taib stated that the 13MP will focus on expanding the AI ecosystem through investments in research and innovation, broaden its application in key sectors such as public services, smart agriculture, and industrial automation, as well as strengthen public-private sector collaboration.

"This reflects the continuity and development of the initiatives in the 12MP. The objective is to position Malaysia as a global leader in AI technology through strategic investments and deeper collaborations," he said during the opening of the 11th Malaysian Statistics Conference (MyStats) 2024, themed Data and Artificial Intelligence: Empowering the Future, at Sasana Kijang, Bank Negara Malaysia today.

Hanifah stated that the government has successfully attracted larger foreign investments through a structured policy, with a 57.2 percent increase approved by the National Committee on Investment in 2023, including AI-related investments.

"The benefit is that more job opportunities can be created, ultimately increasing the income of the people," he said.

Meanwhile, over 1,000 participants, including statisticians, academics, and researchers from various agencies, attended the MyStats conference, jointly organised by the Department of Statistics Malaysia, Bank Negara Malaysia, and the Malaysian Statistical Institute.

The conference provides a platform for stakeholders to present new ideas and enhance mutual understanding in the statistics field and fosters collaboration and networking for more effective analysis and evidence-based government policy formulation.

Today's conference featured two forum sessions discussing progressive wages and the dilemma of job loss.

It also recognised the contributions of statistical practitioners through awards for MyStats Best Young Statistician Presenter, Best Oral Presenter, and Best Poster Presenter, to appreciate and acknowledge individual talents in research and the production of high-impact statistics.

-- BERNAMA