Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) has been identified as a strategic institution in advancing Malaysia’s artificial intelligence (AI) agenda, in line with the nation’s evolving focus on high-impact, future-driven sectors.
The direction was highlighted by Prime Minister, YAB Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim during his address at the officiating ceremony of Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA)’s 60th anniversary celebration held at the World Trade Centre (WTC), today.
In his address, YAB Dato’ Seri Anwar underscored the continued relevance of affirmative action policies in strengthening Bumiputera participation, particularly through entrepreneurship and education as core pillars of MARA’s mandate.
He noted that under the leadership of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Rural and Regional Development (KKDW), YAB Dato’ Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, MARA has demonstrated significant progress, especially in elevating Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) beyond foundational levels.
“The achievements in high-level TVET are among the best recorded by any developing nation,” he said, highlighting that focused implementation and trust in institutional capabilities have enabled this transformation.
Within this broader ecosystem, UniKL was singled out as a key contributor, having expanded beyond its traditional strengths in engineering and accounting into emerging fields such as AI.
“UniKL, beyond its strong engineering foundation and accounting programmes, is now advancing into AI,” the Prime Minister remarked.
He further stressed that a national decision has been made to position UniKL among leading institutions in AI, aligning with efforts to strengthen Bumiputera participation in high-impact and technology-driven sectors.
Supporting this direction, UniKL has established a dedicated Centre for Knowledge Artificial Intelligence, Learning & Automation (UniKL KAiLA) at its UniKL Malaysian Institute of Information Technology (UniKL MIIT), serving as a hub for research, innovation, and industry collaboration in artificial intelligence.
The university is also offering specialised Bachelor’s degree programmes in AI, aimed at producing future-ready graduates equipped with advanced digital and analytical competencies.
