Malaysia’s twin tech milestones last week – the inaugural Smart City Expo KL 2025 (SCEKL25) and MDEC’s Digital Xceleration Summit (MDX 2025) – revealed just how rapidly the conversation around technology, trust, and transformation is evolving. While one showcased a breathtaking array of robotics and smart-city solutions, the other drilled deep into the pressing challenge of digital trust in an AI-driven future.
The inaugural smart city exhibition really stood out due to the number of robotics that were on the showfloor – from the robot arm at YTL’s booth that brews cups of latte to four-legged robots that behaved like man’s best friend, and even full human-bodied robots designed for roles in hospitality.
Hanson Robotics’ world-famous creation, Sophia – who has already graced talk shows like Good Morning Britain and even holds the symbolic title of the world’s first “robot citizen”- was a star attraction.
When asked about the role of smart humanoids like Sophia in the bigger scheme of a smart city, her creator David Hanson likened humanoids as being “the interface to the future of AI” as interactions between robots and humans are actually “training the AI to become smarter.”
A few hours after sharing the stage and having a conversation with Sophia, Malaysia’s Minister of Digital, Mr. Gobind Singh Deo appeared in a fireside chat with Luno’s country manager, Scarlett Chai.
While the humanoids at SCEKL25 reminded us of society’s limitless ambition; the chat served to remind us that ambition without trust becomes fragility.
As the fireside conversation progressed, Mr. Gobind highlighted two types of robots (physical and virtual) and the potential risks associated with them. “Do you have sufficient control over (robots) so that they are not able to do damage to you to a point where you are not in control and the damage becomes irreparable?”
As part of a larger discussion about building trust in digital ecosystems, Mr. Gobind highlighted that careful consideration of potential risks as well as implementation of robust control mechanisms across different technological layers, are critical.
A few of the Ministry’s key initiatives that reflect this, include establishing a Data Commission, launching Govtech by early next year, and continually enhancing existing law for truly comprehensive cybersecurity legislation.
Laying the foundations of trust
The data commission is envisioned as a strategic, regulatory, and enforcement body to ensure that Malaysia’s data ecosystem is secure, efficient, and trusted. In this way, it is expected to form a cornerstone of the country’s digital trust framework.
The minister explained, “Digital trust is about making sure that you’ve got the right information, making sure that platforms you use are safe from a cyber perspective, but ultimately also ensuring that if there is new technology that comes in, every layer that’s involved in the technology is safe to use.”
In that respect, the Data Sharing Act announced earlier this year, is a critical component of building digital trust. Besides creating processes to ensure secure data sharing, it is meant to establish mechanisms to ensure data security.
He also said, “The first thing that you need to do when you speak about data sharing is accept and acknowledge that the data you’re talking about is digital data.”
We want to be remembered for building structures that deliver solutions for our country.
Digital Minister, Mr. Gobind Singh Deo
Sure enough, soon after the data sharing act was in place, Mr. Gobind admitted, “…we then realised that there was a lot more that needed to be done.”
“Ultimately, we want to be able to convince people that digitalisation is going to impact them… we must also be frank about the risks involved.
The data sharing act is a component in his Ministry’s holistic strategy to build robust, trustworthy digital infrastructures that balances innovation with security and public confidence.
“We don’t want to be remembered for building solutions. We want to be remembered for building structures that deliver solutions for our country,” the minister emphasised, signaling a long-term commitment to sustainable digital transformation.
