SALUTATION
1. Yang Berbahagia Professor Dato' Elizabeth Lee Fuh Yen
Group Chief Executive Officer, Sunway Education Group
2. Professor Sibrandes Poppema
President & Vice-Chancellor, Sunway University
3. Professor Abhimanyu Veerakumarasivam
Provost & Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Sunway University
4. Professor Chai Lay Ching
Pro Vice-Chancellor, Sunway University
5. Ms Wong Lei Lei
Chief Marketing Officer, Sunway Education Group
6. Ms Eer Kai Song
Chief Executive Officer, Hyperbyte AI
7. Mr Lim Jay Yen
Co-Founder, Hyperbyte AI
Fellow Visionaries & Future Leaders,
Distinguished Guest & Participants,
Members of the Media,
Ladies and Gentlemen.
Salam Perpaduan, Salam Malaysia MADANI and a very good morning.
1. I would like to thank the organiser for inviting me to the National AI Competition 2025. It is a joy to be among so many young talents on this Saturday morning.
2. As a father, it is indeed a proud and satisfying moment to see our younger generation taking charge of the exciting world we live in.
3. I must add that our youths are certainly leading the way in the adaption and adoption of digital technologies. This is especially so for Artificial Intelligence (AI). From creating creative content to getting academic assistance, our youths are already in the thick of using AI to enhance their daily lives.
4. It is also evident that AI isn't just a tool. It is the language of today, a powerful ally waiting to be mastered, and used to its fullest potential. And our youths are eager and ready to be part of this AI journey.
SOLVING REAL-LIFE PROBLEMS WITH AI
Ladies and Gentlemen,
5. It is important for us to create avenues for our youths to innovate and push the boundaries. This National AI Competition is one great example.
6. This event is more than just a competition. It provides us a sneak peak of real-world challenges through the eyes of our younger generation. More importantly, through the innovative use of AI, we get to see the solution to those problems.
7. I have been informed that this competition has three categories — Art, Innovation and Technical. This is to encourage participants from different backgrounds and interests to enter the competition.
8. I would like to call upon the organiser to include more categories in the next edition. We must be inclusive in our approach to ensure no one is left behind in our quest to create a digital nation.
9. At the same time, having more participants from different interests will result in more innovations, and possibilities. This will, in return, inspire more youths to be part of the digital workforce.
CREATING A DIGITAL WORKFORCE FOR A DIGITAL MALAYSIA
Ladies and Gentlemen,
10. Speaking about a digital workforce, the Ministry of Digital was set up in 2023 to spur the digital eco-system in Malaysia. We have since introduced and amended laws, worked with private entities to boost up local talents and even launched the National AI Office in December 2024.
11. However, our work is far from over as we are eager to ensure the digital economy contributes significantly to our nation’s Gross Domestic Product.
12. Such steps are being taken to create stable, lucrative and exciting career paths for our youths. There will be a time where more and more of our young ones will be inspired to be an AI engineer, a data scientist or a cyber threat specialist.
13. This is where I seek the assistance from our schools and higher learning institutions to guide, nurture and help create highly skilled digital specialists who will go on to contribute to the nation’s digital workforce, and economy. We need to create digital icons — professionals who can support and lead in the digital realm — to further inspire more people to be part of the eco-system.
14. As such, let’s encourage more children to pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Let’s help them hone their critical thinking and problem-solving skills, while guiding them to understand our communities better, uphold ethics, and learn to communicate effectively.
15. Let’s also urge students to think about real-world applications that can improve lives.
16. The Ministry of Digital is happy to support such causes. Just like a proud parent, when our child goes on to achieve greatness, we know we have made the right decisions.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
17. I’ve been informed there are some 800 students from all over the country who are at the grand finale today. To me, that translates into 800 individuals who have the potential to create an innovative and prosperous Malaysia.
18. Congratulations to the winners. And to the other participants, go on to do better. Take your AI-powered innovation to the next level.
19. I am glad that all of you are not just playing spectator as we see the rise of AI. You are part of the rise. Experiment, learn, question, and create. Follow your passion. Turn your dreams into reality.
20. The incredible power of AI is easily available at our fingertips. Together, let's seize this moment and build a future that is smarter, more equitable, and more exciting than we can even imagine.
Thank you.
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