Malaysia’s initiative to develop smart cities is taking shape across the country, with Johor, Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur and Penang already implementing artificial intelligence (AI) into their infrastructure management.
These efforts were highlighted during a fireside chat, titled “From Data to Decisions — How Malaysian Cities Are Turning AI into Everyday Impact”, held on Aug 28 at my5G Portal at The Exchange 106 in Tun Razak Exchange, Kuala Lumpur. The session was organised by Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), in collaboration with Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB).
The panellists at the fireside chat discussed how each city had implemented AI into its infrastructure management and the impact these initiatives have had on the lives of its citizens. They also delved into each city’s positioning and goals.
“AI really is the future for us and it’s all-encompassing. Technology is not about the end goal, but about improving daily life, competitiveness, as well as embedding AI into urban services, business ecosystems and governance in ethical ways, ultimately making lives better,” said MDEC CEO Anuar Fariz Fadzil.
The other panellists comprised Johor Bahru City Council assistant director of urban transport and commander Choo Kok Wah, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) director of information management Muhamad Azwal Azis, DNB chief corporate officer Datuk Ahmad Zaki Zahid, Putrajaya Corporation director of IT and communication Mohd Musabri Shaharom and Penang City Council director of development planning Mohd Bashir Sulaiman.
Urban development and planning
Johor has implemented AI into its command centre for the upcoming Rapid Transit System (RTS) for 24-hour monitoring, which reduces reliance on manpower while improving safety. The RTS, which connects Johor Bahru to Singapore, will begin operations in 2026.
“Johor Bahru is the nearest city to Singapore, which is one of the best smart cities in the world, so we have to follow closely. Every day, we have about 300,000 people travelling in and out of Singapore. So, we have to use a lot of AI technology to ensure that the transition and movement of people between Singapore and Johor Bahru are seamless,” said Choo.
Concurring with Choo, Ahmad Zaki said “AI cities need autonomous vehicles to be safer, planned and more convenient.”
Beyond mobility management, Johor Bahru is utilising AI in the tourism industry as well as for environmental monitoring, with CCTVs and sensors enabled with the technology set up across the city. These initiatives are closely tied to the development of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), which has attracted major data centre investments, with AI-driven logistics, infrastructure and security management across the zone.
Additionally, property developers in Johor Bahru are required to install AI-powered surveillance systems in their new projects, connecting them to the city’s central command centre.
Meanwhile, AI initiatives in Putrajaya include placing panic buttons in 89 locations to provide assistance during emergencies and multimedia gateways in all 20 precincts for better connectivity, according to Mohd Musabri.
The AI-powered smart traffic management system called Step Adaptive Split Cycle Offset Optimiser (SASCOO) has been deployed at more than 20 intersections in Malaysia, including Putrajaya, Johor and Ipoh. It features real-time traffic optimisation, adaptive signal control, green wave coordination, remote monitoring and real-time control over traffic dashboards and a machine learning engine to improve signal plans based on evolving traffic patterns.
AI also plays a vital role in making cities more sustainable. In Putrajaya, a network of over 100 flood sensors enables authorities to monitor rainfall in real time, allowing response teams to be swiftly deployed to mitigate flash floods. “So, for example, in heavy rain [or when flash floods occur], we can deploy our workforce to a specified area as we know which area is actually being affected. For Putrajaya, an AI city-oriented vision is not just about technology, it’s about governance that listens and learns. Basically, it aims to drive economic growth because AI technology actually creates new forms of skills that we need in the country,” said Mohd Musabri.
Meanwhile, in Kuala Lumpur, AI is being utilised to improve daily urban services and governance. The city uses AI-enabled CCTVs to monitor traffic, using the data gathered to improve traffic flow and ease traffic congestion. This has reduced waiting times by 20%. Smart street lighting that adjusts brightness based on local needs has helped to curb crime and improve traffic management.
“AI technology is a catalyst for Kuala Lumpur to improve the quality of [its] public service. We want to give good quality public service — AI can [help] improve our services. It is a tool for smart cities and digitalisation,” said Azwal.
The smart traffic lights in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, alongside the SASCOO system, have reduced travel time during peak hours by 30% to 50%, lowered accident rates at SASCOO-enabled junctions by 10% to 15% and cut down reliance on manual traffic control by the police.
In Penang, AI is used in maintaining urban greenery, with predictive tools that assess tree health and recommend pruning for heavy branches or identify hidden rot before accidents occur. The city has also utilised AI in the monitoring and maintenance of heritage buildings through the use of LiDAR (light detection and ranging) and satellite imaging, enabling early detection of structural issues such as roof damage or water seepage without invasive inspections.
“[We also aim to make the lives of the elderly and Penang locals] easier. We are planning to develop our own AI chat box. However, [some AI large language models] sometimes don’t understand Penang slang words. So we invited a few people to use the Penang slang to aid in the machine learning. We have tested it twice, and so far so good. We hope to launch the chat box by October,” said Mohd Bashir.
Ahmad Zaki also discussed how digital infrastructure is key to making AI cities possible, citing Shenzhen, China, and its initiatives to use AI-powered CCTVs to catch pests in commercial kitchens.
“The cameras [in restaurants in Shenzhen] will detect [pests] and send a message saying this restaurant is closed. So you see, standardisation of those cameras are really very important for the data feeds that go to the command centre, for example. So the command centre is really very important,” he said.
Shaping the cities of tomorrow
Each of these cities is carving out its own distinct path in the journey to becoming an AI-powered city, guided by its unique strengths and challenges.
Mohd Musabri said Putrajaya is set to become a “visionary smart city by 2030”. As the country’s administrative capital with built-in digital infrastructure, it is expanding its AI applications across traffic, urban safety and environmental monitoring to create predictive, citywide systems. The long-term goal is to embed AI into every layer of governance and urban planning, allowing the administration to anticipate challenges — from congestion to flooding — and respond proactively.
Meanwhile, Johor Bahru has made strides towards the city’s positioning as a “liveable, low-carbon, data-driven metropolis”, with upcoming infrastructure developments such as the RTS Link, proximity to Singapore and the JS-SEZ setting the stage for cross-border economic integration, said Choo. Urban development across Johor will prioritise connectivity and liveability, reinforcing its role as a regional gateway.
Penang envisions an AI-empowered city balancing between conservation and innovation, according to Mohd Bashir. The technology will be used for heritage building maintenance, flood prediction and improving accessibility for the state’s ageing population, such as by developing AI chatbots in local dialects to ensure senior citizens and vulnerable groups feel included.
DBKL’s Azwal said Kuala Lumpur aims to be an adaptive and citizen-centred metropolis, with the goal of learning and responding to the public through AI integration across transport, smart lighting and safety systems.
“For Malaysia, it’s about how we can position ourselves within Asean and globally as a regional leader through an AI nation, shaping how the future looks like — how it affects our lives on a personal level, our scheduling, how we reply to emails, how it’s more productive. So, it is a natural shift that seems to be AI-enabled,” said MDEC’s Anuar Fariz.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Allyson Tan
Dieser Artikel ist neu veröffentlicht von / This article is republished from: The Edge Malaysia, 15.10.2025
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