(From left) Huawei Malaysia CEO Eric Lu, Government-Industry TVET Coordination Body CEO Jamil Bakri, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission chief human resources officer S Murugappan, and NeX Academy CEO Khim Tan during Dialogue 10 at the International Regulatory Conference 2026 today. KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s digital future rests on two main pillars – stronger regional cooperation, and future-ready talent – say speakers at the International Regulators Conference (IRC) 2026. The panellists stressed that governments, businesses, and educational institutions must work more closely to address emerging technological challenges and keep the country competitive.
During Dialogue 8, International Telecommunication Union (ITU) representative Sulyna Abdullah said cooperation had become “more necessary than ever” as technologies such as AI, digital platforms, and cybersecurity transcend borders. Sulyna said regulators have moved away from pursuing complete harmonisation and are instead focused on “regulatory interoperability,” in which countries align around common principles while retaining their own laws. “No country is an island,” she said, urging deeper collaboration between governments and regulators.
Asean digital economy officer Hazremi Hamid echoed the view, pointing to the recent conclusion on the Asean Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA), which aims to establish common standards on issues such as cross-border data flows. Hazremi said regional cooperation will help countries of varying digital maturity learn from one another while balancing national priorities with the demands of a borderless economy. The speakers also emphasised that Malaysia’s ability to compete will depend not only on regulation and infrastructure, but also on the strength of its workforce.
During Dialogue 10, which focused on talent development and the future workforce, they described human capital as Malaysia’s most important strategic asset. Productivity follows talent,” said Jamil Bakri, CEO of the Government-Industry TVET Coordination Body, who warned that a mismatch persists between graduates’ skills and industry requirements. He said universities and training institutions can no longer function independently, and called for closer cooperation with employers to ensure curricula remain relevant.
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