SALUTATION
1. Mr Evan Cheah
Deputy President, Sunway Group
2. Yang Berbahagia Dato’ Tan Kia Loke
Senior Managing Director (Chairman’s Office), Sunway Group
3. Mr Matt Van Leeuwen
Chief Innovation Officer of Sunway Group and Chief Executive Officer of Sunway iLabs
4. Ms Karen Lau
Chief Operations Officer, Sunway iLabs
Startup Founders, Investors and Ecosystem Builders,
Member of the Media,
Ladies and Gentlemen.
Salam Perpaduan, Salam Malaysia MADANI and a very good Evening.
1. First of all, thank you to Sunway Group, Sunway iLabs, and Mr Evan for bringing us all together this evening. And I must say, this is quite a refreshing setting — a tech event by “the beach” in the evening, with energy and excitement in the air.
2. Perhaps this is exactly what innovation should feel like. Open — Connected — Borderless. Innovation does not always begin inside a boardroom or a government building.
3. Sometimes, it begins with conversations; Between founders and investors; Between industries and government officials; Between one innovator and another. And perhaps that is why gatherings like this matter.
4. To our international guests from Silicon Valley, China, Europe, Australia, and across ASEAN — welcome to Malaysia! Your presence here sends a strong message that Malaysia is no longer simply participating in conversations on global technology.
BUILDING AN AI NATION FOR ALL MALAYSIANS
5. Malaysia is now becoming a place where technology is being built, where partnerships are being formed, and where ideas are being transformed into real opportunities.
6. And this is happening at a pivotal moment. Around the world, we are seeing economic uncertainty, geopolitical tensions, rapid technological shifts, and industries being reshaped faster than ever before. The global landscape today is changing almost every day.
7. But despite all of this, Malaysia continues to move forward with confidence and optimism. Because uncertainty cannot become a reason to slow down.
8. Today, Malaysia remains firmly committed to our ambition of becoming an AI Nation by 2030 — not as a slogan, but as a national direction. This is a commitment to ensure Malaysia is not just consuming technology, but helping to build, shape, and lead it.
9. Digital transformation today is no longer simply about digitising services or increasing connectivity. It is about whether countries are capable of building, adopting, and governing the technologies that will shape their future.
10. That is why the Government established the Ministry of Digital as a standalone ministry in December 2023 — a clear recognition that digital transformation is no longer peripheral, but central to Malaysia’s future.
11. Since then, we have moved progressively to build the foundations needed for long-term digital growth and national competitiveness.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
12. We introduced the Cyber Security Act 2024 and the Data Sharing Act 2025, strengthened the Personal Data Protection Act, and established the National AI Office, to drive AI coordination across government, industry, and academia.
13. At the same time, we are pushing forward the National AI Action Plan 2026–2030 — not as a policy document that sits on a shelf, but as a real national effort to build talent, strengthen infrastructure, grow innovation, and create opportunities for Malaysians.
BUILDING AN INCLUSIVE AI FUTURE
14. I truly believe that AI should not benefit only a small group of companies or a few major cities. It must reach our startups and SMEs, our universities and researchers, our students, our civil servants, and everyday Malaysians trying to build better businesses, better careers, and better lives.
15. If we get this right, a startup in Malaysia will not just compete locally, but can be built for the world from day one. That is why Malaysia is committed to building stronger international partnerships and positioning ourselves as a gateway to Southeast Asia.
16. And this is why it is encouraging to see global players here today, including Andreessen Horowitz, China International Capital Corporation, Vencap, OpenAI, Harrison AI, and many others.
17. Your presence here says something important. It reflects growing confidence not just in Malaysia, but in ASEAN as one of the fastest-growing digital regions in the world.
18. More than 680 million people call this region home. That means talent. Markets. Ideas. Opportunities. And Malaysia is well-positioned right at the centre of it — ready to connect global innovation with Southeast Asia’s next wave of growth.
MAKING INNOVATION WORK FOR THE RAKYAT
Ladies and Gentlemen,
19. One of the biggest challenges today is that innovation often stops at discussions, presentations, or pilot projects. Good ideas exist everywhere. But what truly matters is whether those ideas can be implemented and scaled to create real impact.
20. That is exactly why the Ministry introduced the Government Innovation Initiative, or GII. The focus is no longer just on collecting ideas, but on execution, deployment, and outcomes that improve how the government works and how services are delivered to the rakyat.
21. Through platforms like MyInovasi and the upcoming Citizen Labs — startups, industries, researchers, agencies, and even ordinary Malaysians can bring forward real problems and real solutions. Here, high-potential ideas can then be piloted, tested, and scaled across the government.
22. And this is why platforms like FutureX matter. Because innovation moves faster when founders, investors, industries, researchers, and governments are part of the same ecosystem.
23. FutureX is more than just an event. It is a bridge between ideas and execution, between Malaysia and the world, between ambition and opportunity.
24. Because no country can build the future alone. Governments cannot do it alone. Startups cannot do it alone. Industries cannot do it alone. It takes all of us moving together with trust, purpose, and the willingness to build.
25. So to all founders, investors, innovators, and partners here tonight — thank you for believing in Malaysia, and I invite each individual here today to become a part of this journey forward. 26. The opportunities ahead are enormous. And the work starts now. With that, it is my great honour to officially launch the 2026 FutureX Ventures Fest.
Thank You.
#END#
