The Malaysian government is currently developing a National Public Language Model (NLLM) that operates entirely in Malay. It was developed with the aim of strengthening the country's digital sovereignty and data security, as well as reducing dependence on foreign companies.
NLLM is an initiative developed under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) which is in line with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's vision of transforming Malaysia into an artificial intelligence (AI)-based nation
In a reply in Parliament, Deputy Minister for Digital Datuk Wilson Ugak Kumbong said NLLM was developed through collaboration between industry players, local universities and local companies. At the same time, the proposal to develop an Islamic AI system will also be reviewed with relevant parties, including JAKIM (Malaysian Islamic Development Department), in line with the government's goal of building ethical AI based on Malaysian values.
There are already several LLMs in Malay such as Ilmu by YTL and MaLLaM by Mesolitica. In the Islamic LLM arena, Zetrix NurAI has just been launched while Humain launched the most advanced Arabic AI model ever produced that understands Islamic religion and culture.