“We are constantly looking at ways to improve Malaysia’s competitiveness through digitization, to make it easier to do business in the country,” assures Mr. Fabian Bigar, CEO of MyDIGITAL Corporation. Established in 2021 as a governmental strategic change management office, it leads the country’s push towards a digital economy. It promotes government initiatives and monitors the progress of the agencies participating in the Malaysia Digital Economy Blueprint and the National Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) Policy, two plans that outline Malaysia’s vision of development in the context of technology innovation worldwide. Beyond delivering growth through technology, Malaysia wants to tap into technology to promote sustainability, social development, and national objectives. Mr. Bigar explains, “Previously, when discussing industrial revolutions, we thought mainly of manufacturing and technology as tools for development. Now, we understand technology must be a pillar of any economic policy planning, and we focus on how to use technology to ensure inclusive growth and to become a leader in our region.”

The formation of MyDIGITAL is tactical in the pursuit of these goals. Part of the Ministry of Economy, MyDIGITAL, was incorporated as a company rather than a traditional government department to stand apart from bureaucracy and hire independently, thus being more agile and flexible. This particularity allows it to fulfill one core tenet: being a bridge between the public and private sectors by seeking strategic partnerships. MyDIGITAL supports public initiatives to promote technology use in the private sector; it simplifies access to government support by being the country’s single window contact for all digitization programs. After working with the World Bank, Malaysia discovered it offered businesses over 100 digitization programs across 26 agencies. While not directly in charge of execution, MyDIGITAL’s coordinating role across the different agencies allows it to understand the subject and task other agencies to streamline projects.

Additionally, MyDIGITAL monitors social impact, such as the number of job opportunities created in the digital economy from investments in domestic and international markets. In 2022, investment in the Malaysian digital sector surpassed the 2025 target of RM 70 billion (USD 17.32 billion), reaching RM 84 billion. Together with other government agencies, MyDIGITAL strategizes on how to harness this force for progress. One key mechanism is to liberalize and democratize tech training.

Digitization is also instrumental in Malaysian foreign policy. One crucial example of Malaysia’s global relevance is the Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR), launched last year by MyDIGITAL in partnership with the World Economic Forum. It is the first center of its kind in Southeast Asia, and it aims to examine challenges related to the digital economy, energy transition, and digital transformation. It also seeks to recruit experts from Malaysia’s public and private sectors who can collaborate with other C4IR centers around the globe, drawing on their experience and expertise to develop impactful initiatives. Additionally, as part of the center’s work and in collaboration with Microsoft, the center launched a groundbreaking report on the economic impact of AI in Malaysia last year. It is the first country-specific report of its kind. It provides unique social-impact insights and raises awareness of the economic opportunities that generative AI can create for a country. Malaysia’s push encourages partnerships and knowledge transfer with the United States -opening the door for collaborations between international MNCs and local SMEs. 

Malaysia’s strength in building a digital economy owes to its strong electronics manufacturing base, multilingual educated talent pool, low cost of living, and relatively high internet penetration; MyDIGITAL props one of the country’s critical economic driving forces. The agency’s forward-looking mentality and agility ensure Malaysia can navigate trends and harness the transformative power of innovation. Mr. Bigar stated: “We are not stopping here; we will continue finding ways to improve.”