Imagine waking up and your kopi-o is already brewing because your artificial intelligence (AI) assistant knows you had a late night.
It booked your e-hailing ride to the train station, reminded you to top up your e-wallet and even suggested an umbrella because rain clouds over Bangsar are moving in faster than expected.
AI is no longer just a buzzword. Across Asia, the technology is already woven into daily life — and Malaysia is only beginning to catch up.
Read more: Lessons from Hong Kong and China: What Malaysia can do to unlock its smart city potential
- The project is expected to generate between 8,000 and 9,000 jobs during construction and over 10,000 jobs upon completion, driving opportunities across construction, services, logistics and commerce. It will also enhance Perak’s tourism appeal, building on the 10.2 million domestic visitors and 12% growth in international arrivals recorded in 2024.
The Ipoh Sentral project, anchored under the Perak Smart City 2030 Green Transport Agenda, is envisioned to transform Ipoh into a modern, sustainable and well-connected transport hub while safeguarding the city’s cultural heritage and strengthening community bonds.
- AI, data integration, and a digital twin are reshaping how DBKL runs KL
- 5000+ CCTVs, predictive analytics and AI drive KL's smarter, safer city vision
Kuala Lumpur is stepping into the future, using artificial intelligence (AI) to transform itself into a smarter, safer, and more livable city. At the heart of this effort is the Kuala Lumpur Command & Control Centre (KLCCC) in Bukit Jalil, which is fully owned and managed by Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL) or City Hall.
Kuala Lumpur is rapidly transforming into an AI-powered metropolis, thanks to sweeping digitalisation efforts led by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), supported by the Ministry of Digital. Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo, during his visit to the Kuala Lumpur Command and Control Centre (KLCCC) today, praised the capital’s strides in adopting artificial intelligence to enhance public services, improve safety, and raise overall quality of life.
Cities are the world’s economic engines. Also its biggest polluters. Globally, urban areas account for more than 70% of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The rural-urban migration remains high. No sign of the phenomenon slowing. In Malaysia, our cities, from Kuala Lumpur to Johor Bahru and Penang, are rapidly growing in both size and carbon footprint. Managing this growth sustainably is one of the defining challenges of our time. Recognising this, Malaysia launched the Smart City Framework in 2019. It was an ambitious blueprint outlining how technology, sustainability, and inclusive design could transform urban living and help address the climate crisis. Yet five years on, progress has been sluggish. Pilot projects appear sporadically, and the national momentum has remained lethargic.
Read more: Malaysia’s Smart City Dream Is A Sustainability Challenge