SAS collaborates with the government to advance Malaysia's data analytics and AI capabilities

• Aims to train 100 students and educators in data analytics and AI by 2025
• Collaborates with MDEC to support government’s digital transformation efforts

Strengthening its commitment to supporting Malaysia's development as a digital leader, data and AI leader SAS announced its partnership with Premier Digital Tech Institutions (PDTI) by Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC). The collaboration aims to equip students and educators with data analytics and AI capabilities, while also supporting MDEC's Workforce Reskilling and Upskilling Initiative by offering courses and certifications in Data Science and AI.

In a statement, SAS outlined its goal of training 100 students and educators across PDTIs by the end of 2025, laying a strong foundation for Malaysia’s digital economy. This was announced during the opening of SAS’s new office at Menara IQ (Persiaran TRX), officiated by Minister of Digital Malaysia, Gobind Singh Deo. SAS's announcements aim to bridge the gap between industry demand and local talent supply through training courses and certifications.

"As a leader in data and AI, SAS is playing a pivotal role in this national endeavour. We are committed to supporting the Malaysian government's efforts towards digital transformation through our collaboration with MDEC to promote reskilling and upskilling in data analytics and AI, equipping the workforce for today’s digital economy," said Amir Sohrabi, regional vice president for ASEAN-Korea and head of Digital Transformation for Emerging EMEA & Asia Pacific, SAS.

"Our collaboration with MDEC aims to ensure that Malaysia's digital economy has a robust, future-ready talent pipeline. We look forward to strengthening our collaboration between the government, industry, and educational institutions to solidify Malaysia's leadership in digital innovation. Additionally, we plan to make our courses and certifications more accessible and affordable," he added.

Meanwhile, Gobind said, "SAS has been at the forefront of business analytics, having been established in Malaysia for over 40 years. The company is recognised as the number one market leader in AI and advanced analytics, with 91 of the top 100 Fortune 500 companies as SAS customers. This collaboration between SAS and MDEC is much welcomed, and I encourage more companies to collaborate with the Ministry of Digital to grow the talent pool."

"The opening of our Regional Hub KL office marks a milestone in SAS's journey in Malaysia and the region. This office serves as a regional hub for Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam, fostering synergies across geographies and leveraging our regional partner network to deliver and implement SAS technology for local businesses and organisations," said Febrianto Siboro, managing director (Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam), SAS.

"Together with our partners, we will deliver relevant initiatives and solutions to help local enterprises in banking, insurance, and other sectors harness AI responsibly for fraud prevention, risk mitigation, and strategic decision-making," he added.

Operating in Malaysia for more than 35 years, SAS is trusted by banks, government, and local organisations to mitigate risk and meet regulatory compliance through its solutions.