2025 is the year of the annus mirabilis of the technology world in Malaysia. Various data center projects were announced, Intel strengthened Malaysia's position as a chip testing center and the government's digitalization process was carried out more comprehensively. Here is a list of the 10 most interesting Malaysian technology news throughout 2025.
1. Malaysia Bans Individuals Under 16 Years of Age from Registering Social Media Accounts Starting 2026
Individuals under 16 years of age will be banned from registering social media accounts starting 2026, according to Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil last month. According to Fahmi, this is in line with the Online Safety Act 2025 which will come into effect starting January 1.
Social media platforms will need to activate their eKYC system to verify the identity and age of users opening accounts. Identity verification will be done using MyKad, passport or MyDigital ID. This will make Malaysia the second country after Australia to ban social media access to users under 16 years of age on December 10.
It is not yet known what the penalty will be if a platform fails to verify the age of a user or a user violates this ban in Malaysia. In Australia, a fine of A$49.5 million (~RM 132 million) would be imposed if this happens.
Enforcement by the Ministry of Communications is also still unclear, although it will start in just 5 weeks. What will happen to the social media accounts of users under 16 in Malaysia is also still a question mark. This is an important question because this year social media platforms are supposed to apply for a license with the MCMC to operate, but only TikTok, WeChat and Telegram have done so so far.
2. The Use of MyDigital ID is Growing
Minister of Digital, Gobind Singh Deo said that various services involving the government will require the use of MyDigital ID. Among the examples given are services such as marriage registration, death certificates and even passport renewal.
This month, several services have started integrating MyDigital ID support, including MyBayar summons payment, PTPTN applications, and a number of others. MyDigital ID is also the main core of the MyGOV application, which is a one-stop application for various government-based services. Registration of new prepaid SIM cards will also require users to have a MyDigital ID.
The government is also said to be more active in using MyDigital ID by 2026. Today, it is said to have around 6.36 million registered users for the identity service.
3. Johor Bans Construction of High Water-Using Data Centres
Mrjn Photograph/ Unsplash
The Johor government will no longer approve applications for the construction of Level 1 and Level 2 data centres that use up to 50 million litres of water per day (MLD) according to a report by the New Straits Times. This is high water consumption equivalent to the needs of 25 million individuals per day. From now on, only Level 3 and Level 4 data centres that use up to 0.2 MLD will be approved.
The process of approving data centres will be handled by the Johor Data Centre Development Coordinating Committee which will take into account six main criteria. These criteria are water and energy consumption, environmental impact, water and energy efficiency, availability of fibre optic infrastructure, alternative water sources and cooling systems that reduce dependence on water.
In addition, the use of sustainable technologies such as reducing carbon emissions and complying with green building index standards will also be taken into account by this committee. So far, Johor has approved 51 data center projects worth RM182.96 billion.
The ban on the construction of Level 1 and Level 2 data centers was carried out after last week Johor asked investors to postpone the construction of data centers for 18 months due to water shortages in Johor. Although last year Johor used 6.1 (MLD) for data centers, it is predicted to increase to 384 MLD by 2030.
4. Ancient Ship Over 800 Years Old Found in Melaka
A piece of wood believed to be the wreckage of a ship belonging to a Malay chieftain before the era of the Malay Sultanate of Melaka was found in Pulai Melaka on October 30. This extraordinary discovery is the result of excavations by the National Heritage Department (JWM) in collaboration with the Melaka Museum Corporation (Perzim) and the National University of Malaysia (UKM).
Deputy Commissioner of JWM Ruzairy Arbi said that apart from the date, size and building materials used to build the ship, this discovery also proves that the expertise of the Melaka people in the maritime world has existed for a long time. It is believed that the ship was used between 1200 and 1300 with an estimated length of 50 to 70 meters, making it larger than the Mendam Berahi ship mentioned in the Hikayat Hang Tuah.
Samples of the ship's wood were sent to the Beta Analytic laboratory in the United States for radiocarbon dating tests and found that the ship used saga and merbau wood components. In addition, the ship did not use any metal nails but relied entirely on the wooden peg technique to connect the components.
The process of dismantling and moving the ship's components is being carried out for further conservation. In addition to the wood, fragments of porcelain bowls and syling money believed to be from the Sultan Mahmud era were also found at the excavation site. The National Heritage Department plans to display these artifacts to the public after the excavation and documentation work is completed.
5. Intel Makes Malaysia a Chip Assembly and Testing Center
Intel CEO, Lip Bu Tan in July published a note for employees on the company's future plans and the efforts that have been and will be made to ensure the company's survival.
There is good news for Intel employees in Malaysia as he announced plans to consolidate assembly and testing operations in Costa Rica to larger sites in Malaysia and Vietnam. Costa Rica remains an important country site to house engineering teams and corporate functions. As previously reported, chip fabrication plant construction projects in Germany and Poland have now been canceled.
Intel later announced an additional investment of RM860 million this month to make Malaysia an assembly and operational test hub. The announcement was made by Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan during a meeting with Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim yesterday.
6. Malaysia Now Requires Permits for Export and Transit of US AI Chips
The Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) today issued a directive that the export, transfer and transit of high-performance artificial intelligence (AI) chips originating from the United States will be subject to trade permits with immediate effect.
Companies or individuals wishing to trade US AI chips must give the authorities 30 days' notice. This is in line with Section 12 of the Strategic Trade Act 2010 (STA 2010). The directive was given after an incident occurred in which browsers with NVIDIA GPUs were smuggled to China from Singapore via Malaysia with a value of up to $390 million (~RM 1.7 billion) last January.
With this, Malaysia will no longer allow it to be a location for certain entities to bypass export barriers for purposes that violate international law. Last week, reports emerged that Malaysia and Thailand may face restrictions on the export of AI chips by the United States following an incident where the chips were successfully smuggled into a country that has export restrictions.
7. Court Finds AirAsia Cannot Fire Staff Over Personal Social Media Posts
Is social media status a sufficient reason for employers to fire their employees? The Malaysian Industrial Court last month found AirAsia guilty of firing Hyffny Yusof, a flight attendant, over social media posts that allegedly insulted the company. He was awarded RM31,920 in compensation for being fired in 2023 over social media posts criticizing the company's management after the flight crew was stranded for 12 hours.
Hyffny Yusof's posts were uploaded to Facebook and Instagram but could only be seen by a group of his close friends. The court found that the posts did not damage the company's reputation, were not made while on duty and did not constitute serious misconduct. The use of the word "idiot" for certain executives was inappropriate but ruled that dismissal was too harsh a punishment.
The court also ruled that AirAsia's social media policy was so broad that it interfered with the right to privacy and freedom of expression at work. The industrial court's decision clearly states that you can make social media posts about your employer as long as they are only visible to a small group of users and not cloud posts.
8. All Buses and Heavy Goods Vehicles Must Install Speed Limit Devices by July 2026
If you want to have access to operate, all buses and heavy goods vehicles over 3,500kg will need to install speed limit devices (SLDs) on their vehicles from July 2026. A notice issued by the Ministry of Transport (MOT) in June explained that the requirement is in line with the country's goal of reducing the risk of accidents due to irresponsible actions by a few drivers in this category.
According to information, buses and lorries registered from 2015 onwards must install SLDs approved by the authorities and submit reports every two years, starting October 2025. And this enforcement has been implemented for new vehicles since 2015.
For vehicles registered before January 2015 with SLD, the device must be activated and also submit a compliance report. These vehicles must comply with the regulations by January 2026.
With this information, it is hoped that all vehicle service operators are aware of this requirement and for the general public, MOT also announced that the speed limit for heavy vehicles will be standardized at 90km/h, even though the speed limit on highways is set at 110km/h.
9. Civil Servants Cannot Use Social Media Applications Like TikTok and Facebook While on Duty
The Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public Service (CUEPACS) insists that civil servants are not to use social media applications like TikTok and Facebook while on duty, according to a report by Harian Metro. In a statement issued by CUEPACS president Datuk Dr Adnan Mat, civil servants need to focus fully on their duties during working hours as stated in an official circular from the Public Service Department dated June 2013.
According to him, the use of social media while on duty without official requirements can affect productivity and violate the Public Servants (Conduct and Discipline) Regulations 1993 [P.U (A) 395/1993].
In 2020, Datuk Dr Adnan Mat issued a similar warning after civil servants wearing their respective department uniforms were found to be recording indecent, ugly and negative videos before uploading them to personal social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook.
The issue of civil servants using social media applications during working hours has become a hot topic again when more and more school teachers were found to be uploading videos of students during school hours without the permission of their parents and guardians.
If you see civil servants using social media applications while on duty, you can report it via the Public Complaints Management System (SISPAA) website.
10. MyGOV One-Stop Government Services App Introduced in Open Beta Test
MyGOV Malaysia app was launched in August in Beta test phase with MyDigital ID integration for identity management. It will focus on seven main services initially, namely for travel related matters (passport related), registration (birth and citizenship related), driving (road tax and driving license related), health (medical appointments and health records related), summons, housing (including land tax and assessment tax), and also for Sumban Tunai Rahmah (STR).
The app is developed by the Digital Ministry with their own team, and is expected to feature integration from other digital apps and services in the future.
For now, when you download and log into the app using the MyDigital ID login system, some examples of the features that will be introduced can be seen on the homepage, such as digital identity, including details for identity cards, driving licenses, motor vehicle licenses, passports and OKU cards, if any.