The Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) and Zhejiang University recently signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to collaborate on digital transformation, AI ecosystem and smart cities based on the ‘Zhejiang Model’, a successful digital governance transformation framework.
MDEC CEO Anuar Fariz Fadzil said that the partnership is strategic to Malaysia’s ambition of becoming a leading digital nation under the MADANI Government.
“This partnership reinforces MDEC’s core mission to build a robust digital ecosystem that incubates future-ready talent, drives innovation and supports cutting edge research,” said Anuar.
He also added that it closely aligns with the government’s digital transformation agenda, prioritising key areas such as talent development, enhanced data management, AI security and smart cities.
Zhejiang University, with a legacy spanning more than a century, is widely recognised for its role in nurturing tech talent and advancing AI innovation.
It notably shaped Liang Wenfeng, the founder of DeepSeek – a breakthrough player in the Generative AI space – whose innovations have made high-performing AI models significantly more cost-efficient and accessible, accelerating the democratisation of AI technologies worldwide.
MDEC’s investments and exports programmes under the Malaysia Digital Initiative have successfully landed substantial foreign direct investments (FDI) and created significant traction on exports to China.
In 2024, Chinese companies under the Malaysia Digital programme committed investments amounting to RM11.9 billion. Malaysia Digital companies exported an estimated RM503.4 million to China.
Malaysia stands to gain valuable insights into the ‘Zhejiang Model’ of digital governance, which offers a proven framework for integrating digital innovation across all levels of society.
“As Malaysia serves as ASEAN Chair this year, this partnership lays the foundation for AI-driven progress that extends well beyond our two nations,” said Anuar. “It reinforces our nation’s commitment to strengthening regional ties and advancing shared goals in digital transformation.”
This development follows on from the People’s Republic of China President Xi Jinping’s highly successful visit to Malaysia last week, which included deepening bilateral cooperation on the digital front after having met with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim together with other ministers including Minister of Digital Gobind Singh Deo.
