Malaysia Underscores Commitment to Due Diligence in Sovereign AI Efforts

On May 21, Malaysia’s Ministry of Investment, Trade, and Industry (MITI) issued a statement distancing itself from a recently announced, private sector-driven sovereign, full-stack AI ecosystem program utilizing Chinese AI infrastructure and software. The announcement came after increased scrutiny by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security warning of the risks associated with advanced Chinese chips that may have been produced in violation of U.S. export controls.
As the Government of Malaysia looks to leverage its robust semiconductor ecosystem, the Strategic AI Infrastructure program was announced on May 19, purportedly becoming the region’s first sovereign, full-stack AI ecosystem and the first deployment of Huawei’s chips and servers outside of China. The Prime Minister’s Office and Ministry of Communications were reported to be among the early adopters, with the program aiming to deploy 3,000 advanced GPUs by 2026 to form the backbone of the country’s national AI grid of data centers and cloud hubs.
MITI has underscored its commitment to comply with applicable export control laws and national security directives while retaining sovereignty in developing its AI policies and infrastructure.