PUTRAJAYA, May 22 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today officially launched a venture founded by technologist Datuk Pua Khein Seng, praising it as a great leap for Malaysia in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the global integrated circuit (IC) design industry.

Speaking at the official launch of MaiStorage Technology Sdn Bhd, Anwar said the venture would allow Malaysia to demonstrate its commitment to digital transformation — one of the regional bloc’s future priorities — during the 46th Asean Summit this weekend.

“Today’s launching definitely relates to what we will be addressing this weekend when we meet Asean leaders.

“The thrust of our chairmanship has been digital transformation, and this will lead to what we will be addressing this weekend when we meet Asean leaders, then together, with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and also China.

“Surely with this launch, we can showcase not just mere platitudes and pronouncements,” he said in his speech at Le Meridien Putrajaya here.

Widely regarded as “the father of USB drives,” Pua is both the founder and chief executive of MaiStorage.

MaiStorage — a subsidiary of Taiwan-based Phison Electronics Corporation — is currently spearheading efforts to push Malaysia towards the generative AI era and position the country as a potential powerhouse in the global integrated circuit (IC) design industry.

The venture, which included a technology transfer worth over RM1 billion, was one of the major highlights of the KL20 Summit held last year.

Since beginning operations in August last year, MaiStorage has made significant progress in establishing its base in Malaysia.

To date, the company has hired and trained 60 young IC design engineers, and achieved break-even profitability in under a year of operations.

Anwar said Malaysia is now recognised as one of the few countries with clarity of policies and political stability, emphasising the importance of both factors towards achieving sustainable outcomes.

“Our biggest challenge is effective implementation. That’s why my team and I focus early on governance issues. With discipline, clear policies, and a transparent, corruption-free execution, we can make Malaysia a premier destination for investment in AI and digital fields.

Anwar said the role played by government agencies, such as the Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry (Miti), TalentCorp and the Selangor state government in supporting MaiStorage, has brought success not only to the company but also to the country.

“That is why I personally choose to attend and lend my support because this positions us in new endeavour, one which we describe in the Madani context that encompasses creativity and in ensuring greater level of progress.

“To ensure greater progress, there are several challenging sectors we must explore, and we are fortunate because a local-born talent has already ventured around the world and built a globally successful industry such as the Phison Group,” he said.