- Govt could rollout Malaysia Digital ‘Trusted’ Status for advanced cloud & AI builders
- Expected to launch Malaysia Digital ‘Trusted’ Status with ASEAN milestones, ahead of 2025 chairmanship
As the global race to anchor digital trust accelerates, Malaysia is in a strong position to differentiate itself by capitalising on existing strengths to position the nation as ASEAN’s ‘Digital Embassy for Trust’.
Microsoft ASEAN regional director (legal and government affairs) Dr Jasmine Begum (pic) said that by positioning itself as a regional digital embassy, Malaysia stands to benefit both its economy and its reputation as a secure and reliable hub for digital assets, particularly data centre investments.
“The government could introduce the Malaysia Digital ‘Trusted’ Status, a special designation for entities that establish advanced cloud and AI infrastructure in the country,” she added.
“That way, the status serves to assure governments, enterprises and individuals worldwide that their digital assets in Malaysia will be safeguarded, resilient and managed in line with international best practices,” Jasmine said.
Across the globe, countries are competing to be recognised as safe and reliable homes for digital operations.
Jasmine cited Estonia as having pioneered the concept of a data embassy in Luxembourg, Bahrain passed laws to provide foreign data immunity. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia recently advanced a draft framework for AI hubs. “Each example shows the demand for trusted environments that provide confidence in security, sovereignty and resilience,” she said.
“Savvy countries realise that trust is the currency of today’s digital economy. Malaysia has the opportunity to innovate its own model through alignment with international norms while retaining sovereignty over its legal regime. That balance is exactly what governments and international enterprises are looking for,” she added.
She explained that the Malaysia Digital ‘Trusted’ Status would be underpinned by several core assurances.
Data assets would be safeguarded through globally recognised security standards. Legal and geopolitical risks would be mitigated by choosing Malaysia as the host location for critical digital operations. Continuity of operations would also be guaranteed, ensuring reliability for both public and private services.
“Entities seeking the status must meet stringent criteria, including compliance with global cybersecurity benchmarks, use of strong cryptography, transparent handling of government requests, and demonstrated commitments to business continuity,” she said.
“By signalling that Malaysia is both sovereign and trusted, this initiative gives assurance that data and AI services here will be managed according to world-class standards. It is a pragmatic way to attract investment, encourage innovation and build long-term confidence.”
For ASEAN, Jasmine said the impact for Malaysia could be transformative.
“By embedding trust at the centre of its digital economy, Malaysia will support the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement, accelerate cross-border data flows and create a predictable environment for innovation,” she said.
“Establishing Malaysia as a trusted hub is not only about investment,” she added. “It is about creating confidence that drives cross-border trade, innovation and AI adoption across the region. Malaysia can lead by example,” she added.
The government is expected to align the rollout of the Malaysia Digital ‘Trusted’ Status with key ASEAN milestones later this year, coinciding with Malaysia’s chairmanship of ASEAN in 2025.
“Digital trust is built through commitment, clarity and collaboration,” Jasmine said. “Malaysia can be the place where global companies know their digital assets are respected, protected and ready to power the next wave of growth.”
Note: Michael Ang is a communications consultant based in KL. In his previous lives, he was a journalist with an English daily in KL and had stints as head of comms for IBM Malaysia and Microsoft Malaysia, before serving as Microsoft Corporate PR lead for the Asia-Pacific region in Singapore. Upon his return to Malaysia, he served, among others, as Comms Advisor to then MDEC CEO Datuk Yasmin Mahmood from 2014 – 2018. He currently also provides consultancy services to MDEC’s CEO Office. View expressed are his own.
On 18 September 2025, Digital News Asia will be hosting a Fireside Chat during the Malaysia Digital Xceleration Summit 2025 (MDX 2025) with Jasmine to further explore how Malaysia can anchor its role as ASEAN’s Digital Embassy for Trust. Malaysiakini and Digital News Asia are the Media Partners for MDX 2025 and Smart City Expo Kuala Lumpur 2025 (SCEKL25).