Malaysia Must Build, Run And Own Its Digital Future, Says Gobind
Digital Minister says the next phase must turn more than RM144 billion in approved data-centre and cloud commitments into Malaysian innovation, businesses, talent and lasting economic value By TENGKU NOOR SHAMSIAH TENGKU ABDULLAH PETALING JAYA, Sept 28 – Malaysia must move beyond merely hosting data centres and foreign technology investments and build the capabilities to create, commercialise and ultimately own a greater share of its digital future, Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo said today. Opening the MDX Forum 2026, Gobind said Malaysia had performed strongly in attracting digital investment, recording more than RM144 billion in approved data-centre and cloud commitments, with hyperscalers being developed across Selangor, Johor and other states. But he said the question that would define Malaysia’s next decade was fundamentally different. “Who actually profits from this infrastructure?” Gobind asked. Malaysia, he said, must decide whether it remains primarily a consumer of technologies developed elsewhere or builds the capabilities to create, commercialise and compete globally. Gobind drew a clear distinction between hosting digital infrastructure and developing the higher-value economic activities that can grow around it. “A fully operational data centre employs a few dozen people. But an AI services industry, a cloud operations hub, or a regional digital headquarters employs thousands. And it pulls an entire nation’s economy forward,” he said. “That distinction is where the future of our economy will be decided.” Representatives of 12 companies recognised with Malaysia Digital (MD) Status at the MDX Forum 2026 in Petaling Jaya. Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo (middle), next to him on the right is MDEC Chairman Ganesh Kumar Bangah, Sixth from the left is MDEC CEO Anuar Fariz Fadzil. He summed up the government’s ambition in a pointed message: “Our job today is to ensure we don’t just host the digital future.We Build it. We Run it, and we Own it.” From Investment To Economic Value. The message was at the heart of MDX Forum 2026, which brought together around 300 representatives from global investors, technology companies, state agencies and Malaysian enterprises to examine how Malaysia can translate digital investment into tangible economic value….
