The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and Huawei Malaysia have completed the fourth batch of their Digital Leadership Excellence (DLE) Programme.
The latest batch saw 66 senior leaders complete a six-day industrial trip in China, bringing the total number of trained leaders under the initiative to 242.
Final intake starts in July to meet national target
The DLE initiative was first set up in 2024 following a call by Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim for stronger digital skills across public and private sectors. The first intake trained 50 participants, followed by 60 in the second, and 66 in the third intake.
With the fifth and last intake kicking off in July, MCMC and Huawei are on track to train at least 300 leaders before the year ends.
The programme intentionally gathers people from different sectors, including ministry officials, law enforcement officers, researchers, and corporate executives. This setup allows leaders from varied backgrounds to solve high-level digital problems together instead of working in silos.
Four months of training in AI, 5G, and IoT
Spanning four months, the course combines online and physical learning focused on key technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), 5G networks, and the internet of things (IoT). Participants attend classes, work together on practical assignments, and finish with a trip to China to see real-world applications.
While in China, participants visited tech centres and witnessed how large-scale networks are built and managed across the country.
Speaking on the progress, Huawei Malaysia Executive Vice President Eric Du mentioned that the training gives leaders hands-on knowledge to help their own organisations make better use of modern technology.
Practical tech projects aligned with 13MP goals
As part of their final assessment, participants designed practical tech proposals that fit into the goals of the Thirteenth Malaysia Plan (13MP). These projects focus on speeding up AI adoption, building digital skills, and strengthening the local economy.
Ideas pitched by the fourth group included smart systems for handling natural disasters, a single portal for public complaints, tools to monitor food supplies, dynamic traffic monitoring, modernised healthcare delivery, and digital tools to help small traders keep operating during crises.
Participants highlight benefits of cross-sector networking
Participants noted that learning alongside peers from different industries was a major highlight.
Royal Malaysia Police Head of Digital Forensics ACP Muhammad Zulkifly bin Mohd Isa noted that seeing China’s tech landscape firsthand helped him think bigger about how to improve Malaysia’s digital future.
Similarly, MEASAT Chief Commercial Officer Ganendra Selvaraj shared that learning directly from Huawei and connecting with leaders across different industries offered valuable lessons he plans to use to help grow the nation’s digital economy.
