KUALA LUMPUR, April 28 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has warned that Artificial Intelligence (AI) and major technology firms risk being used as instruments of Western geopolitical dominance, rather than neutral commercial tools.
Speaking at the launch of the Huawei AI Lab and Innovation Centre at The Exchange 106 in TRX, Anwar said parts of the Western tech industry view AI not just as a business sector, but as part of a broader competition for global supremacy.
“We are confronted with some views, a very dogmatic doctrine that certain forms of governance, certain forms of technology, found in the West must dictate our policies,” he said.
He added that such thinking rejects oversight and accountability from democratic governments, while also questioning the viability of plural societies.
“They reject meaningful oversight and demands for accountability from democratic governments. They question whether plural societies can thrive and assert that certain cultures are inherently superior to others,” he said.
Anwar rejected the idea that Western governance or cultural systems are inherently superior, pointing instead to the shared roots of modern knowledge systems.
He said foundational elements of modern computing and science — including algebra, algorithms and the concept of zero — were developed through contributions from Islamic, Indian and Chinese civilisations.
“None of these achievements came from isolation — they were the product of exchange and openness. They reflect a refusal to accept that wisdom belongs to any one person alone,” he said.
“This is the tradition that Malaysia, and we, inherited and it should guide how AI is built, governed and shared.”
Anwar stressed that Malaysia intends to move beyond being a passive consumer of AI, and instead build its own capacity to compete in the global digital economy.
He also expressed hope that AI development could help narrow the digital divide between urban and rural communities, as well as between the wealthy and the poor.
Reiterating Malaysia’s openness to foreign investment, he said the country would continue to welcome partnerships from both East and West, provided local laws and national priorities are respected.
“Malaysia will remain open to investment from East and West, and to partnerships with companies that respect our laws and our priorities,” he said.
“But we will not cede the decisions that matter most: how our data is governed, how AI systems are used in our public institutions, and how new technologies are introduced into the lives of our citizens.”
He concluded with a firm message on sovereignty in technology governance:
“Let us be clear: while the technology may come from anywhere, the rules will be made in Malaysia.”
