This article first appeared in Digital Edge, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on December 9, 2024 - December 15, 2024

In line with Malaysia’s priority to develop citizen-centric applications, Mesolitica has built a Malaysian language generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) large language model (LLM) on Amazon Web Services (AWS), boosting accuracy in AI assistant support across Asia’s culturally diverse industries.

Mesolitica, a Malaysian start-up specialising in training LLMs, built MaLLaM LLM to understand local nuances like slang, colloquialisms that merge different dialects, Bahasa Melayu and 16 other regional languages. MaLLaM is trained on 197 datasets totalling close to 200 billion tokens of publicly available Malay-specific content to provide culturally relevant AI support for applications in customer service, content generation and data analysis in localised languages.

“By leaning into Mesolitica, we can now better understand local speech patterns through MaLLam. This has enhanced the accuracy of our medical note-taking solution, strengthened patient communication and ultimately, empowered us to deliver higher quality healthcare,” said Dr Kev Lim, founder and CEO of healthtech start-up Qmed Asia.

MaLLaM can help improve operations through Gen AI. This is particularly beneficial for underserved audiences like farmers in rural areas who make data-driven decisions using real-time weather forecasts, soil health analysis and crop viability assessments.

AI assistants built on MaLLaM can provide efficient responses to citizens’ inquiries in multiple languages, including dialects used in various states across Malaysia, to improve citizen communication and data processing capabilities in this culturally diverse country.

The Malaysian government is exploring the integration of MaLLaM into its operations, which aligns with the country’s broader goal of AI sovereignty and local data governance.

Malaysia’s educational sector can benefit from MaLLaM through applications in language learning and research, particularly in enhancing the understanding of local languages and dialects.

“With AWS, we can deploy proof-of-concept much faster, with the right cost-effective AI compute resources and machine learning capabilities. This allows our customers to focus only on the ongoing operational costs, rather than upfront capital expenses, for their AI experiments,” said Khalil Nooh, co-founder and CEO of Mesolitica.

Mesolitica saw compute cost savings of 87% and enjoyed a 5.5 times increase in throughput (transactions per second) while training MaLLaM, improving the model’s responsiveness and efficiency when used for AI assistants using custom machine learning chips, including AWS Trainium and AWS Inferentia. With AWS, Mesolitica can deploy a proof-of-concept in as little as 24 hours, while the AWS Asia Pacific (Malaysia) region provides a 20% reduction in latency, critical for achieving human-like conversations in AI voice assistants.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Mastercard Impact Fund have formed a partnership to enhance financial access for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) across Asia-Pacific.

With a US$5 million grant from the Mastercard Impact Fund, the collaboration aims to support up to US$1 billion in ADB financing for financial institutions to lend to underserved MSMEs. The initiative focuses on empowering women-led businesses and advancing climate finance.

Asia-Pacific accounts for 52% of the total emerging market MSME financing gap, which is estimated at nearly US$2.5 trillion. In this region, 43% of formal SMEs are either unserved or underserved by financial institutions.

Additionally, 70% of women-owned MSMEs face significant challenges in securing financial support. Harvard Business Review reported that just 4% of total investment funds went to all-women businesses in 2018, and only 2% in 2021. The volume of transactions involving all-female businesses remained stagnant at 6%.

The programme prioritises markets like India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines and Georgia, with at least half of the financing targeting women-led MSMEs and climate initiatives.

Tune Protect Malaysia, the general insurance subsidiary of Tune Protect Group Bhd, has launched the Travel Easy Instant Travel Claims Payout feature on the Tune Protect mobile app. This feature simplifies the claims process, allowing travellers a fully digital and hassle-free experience with instant payouts via DuitNow upon claim approval.

Travel Easy is a travel insurance product that provides coverage for flights on all airlines. The Instant Travel Claims Payout feature was introduced to expedite the claims process, particularly for the Travel Delay benefit.

By eliminating unnecessary documentation such as travel itinerary and delay confirmations for delays of three hours to less than nine hours, the claims submission process is completely paperless and fully digital. Travellers can submit claims via the app and payouts are processed on the day of approval through DuitNow, providing instant reimbursement.

Travellers who purchase an individual Travel Easy policy can receive RM200 for the first complete three hours of delay, followed by an additional RM200 for every subsequent six hours. Those interested in purchasing Travel Easy can enjoy an instant 25% discount when buying online.

Jamf, a global leader in Apple device management and security solutions, has recognised Complete Human Network (CHN) as an Elite Partner, making it the first in Malaysia to achieve this distinction. This recognition underscores CHN’s expertise in delivering top-tier Apple management solutions.

As the only company offering comprehensive management and security for Apple-first environments, Jamf awarded CHN the highest tier in its partner programme based on the company’s ability to provide exceptional support, implementation and management of Apple devices.

This partnership further solidifies CHN’s reputation as a best-in-class provider of device management solutions, ensuring seamless integration of Apple devices across large-scale government bodies, enterprises, SMEs, educational institutions and other sectors.

With this collaboration, CHN is well positioned to support organisations in Malaysia and the Asean region, helping them to securely manage Apple devices at scale and maintain a competitive edge in the digital era.

CHN is launching the Malaysia MacAdmin User Group to unite Apple enthusiasts, IT professionals and organisations nationwide. As this is the first MacAdmin technical user group, this platform encourages individuals and businesses to connect, innovate and enhance their expertise in the Apple ecosystem integration.

As a device-as-a-service (DaaS) and enterprise-mobility-as-a-service (EmaaS) market leader, CHN leverages its deep knowledge of the Apple ecosystem to offer solutions that align with the circular economy, helping organisations extend device lifecycle, reduce e-waste and achieve significant cost savings.

Airei Sdn Bhd launched the first artificial intelligence-based smart palm oil mill at Minsawi Industries in Kuala Kangsar, Perak, where AI systems and technology enhance the automation process of the palm oil mill through its MyPalm platform. The mill utilises Airei’s AI system that integrates four core technologies into the mill’s performance — advanced sensors, AI-powered CCTV cameras, control systems and predictive maintenance.

The MyPalm platform monitors critical parameters across the mill, identifies operational anomalies and manages resources while gathering real-time data to enhance efficiency. The mill can then gather all this data and analyse it using algorithms to schedule predictive maintenance to reduce mill downtime and maintain steady operations — all to increase efficiency and quality control while reducing costs and reliance on manual labour.

“As we move forward into a new era of digitisation, the integration of [AI] into our palm oil production process is pivotal. The AI Palm Oil Mill is able to enhance efficiency, reduce dependence on foreign labour and ensure the highest standards of quality and sustainability,” said Minister of Plantation and Commodities Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani.

“This cutting-edge technology will enable us to optimise yields and minimise the production cost of palm oil production. Through predictive analytics, automated processes and real-time data monitoring, we can achieve higher productivity while reducing manpower and carbon footprint,” he added.

“As of October 2024, 4.81 million hectares or 84.95% of the palm oil plantations in Malaysia are Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certified and 403 out of 464 (87%) palm oil mills are certified, underscoring our pledge to sustainably produced agri-commodities. By embracing AI and innovation, our palm oil remains a preferred choice in the global market.”

Airei also signed a memorandum of understanding with Brazilian start-up Fine Instrument Technology to integrate its SpecFIT magnetic resonance technology into the MyPalm platform, enhancing the AI’s ability to offer insights for efficiency and machinery maintenance. — By Aris Riza Noor Baharin

The World Bank Group has appointed Judith Green as country manager for Malaysia. Green, who is based in Kuala Lumpur at the World Bank Group Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Finance Hub, will head country-level leadership to better support Malaysia’s public- and private-sector priorities. She will also focus on Malaysia’s development experiences and policy innovations to facilitate knowledge exchanges between Malaysia and low- and middle-income countries that aspire to emulate its development success.

Prior to joining the World Bank, Green held the position of country manager for the Pacific Islands, Papua New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand at the International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group. She focused on developing new opportunities for private-sector investments to drive jobs and growth in the Pacific.

Tencent has launched CarbonX Program 2.0, expanding its climate tech initiative globally after a successful China-focused debut. The programme aims to drive net zero innovations by 2050, offering funding and resources to groundbreaking projects worldwide.

With 75% of decarbonisation solutions still in early stages, Tencent aims to scale these technologies via the programme. Guided by its “Tech for Good” mission, the initiative supports innovations critical to meeting Paris Agreement targets.

The programme is seeking proposals and pledges tens of millions to back early-stage innovations in four key areas:

Carbon dioxide removal (CDR): Extracting historic emissions from the atmosphere, emphasising technology-based solutions to ensure the permanence of the removal. Pilot projects for these efforts will be established in Kenya.

Long-duration energy storage (LDES): Developing a pathway for scaling up the ratio of renewable energy in power grids. To support this, 100kW pilot projects will be established in the Maldives, designed to deliver more than six hours of energy storage.

Carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) for the steel industry: Exploring how to decarbonise this vital yet hard-to-abate industry. Rather than revalidate mature technologies, pilot projects set in Serbia will advance next-generation point-source CCUS technologies.

CarbonXmade (CCU): Integrating captured carbon into chemical production and consumer products through the CarbonXmade consortium. This will drive the development of innovative product prototypes to achieve a seamless value chain from carbon to chemicals and consumer products.

CarbonX 2.0 brings together a growing network of partners across industries, investments and ecosystems. Industry leaders like China Resources, Conch Cement, HBIS Group, Siam Cement Group and Sasol have joined the initiative, alongside consumer product giants McDonald’s China, PepsiCo and Unilever.

Investment partners include Africa Climate Ventures, Lightspeed China Partners and HongShan Capital Group. Ecosystem collaborators such as the African Development Bank, Asian Development Bank and XPrize enhance the programme’s reach and impact.

The programme is currently accepting submissions for proposals, until May 2025, from interested parties worldwide, including early-stage start-ups, established companies and academic or research institutions. The selection process will occur in two phases.

The first phase, which runs until September 2025, will see 10 to 15 teams per demonstration scenario shortlisted based on their potential for significant impact. In the second phase, which will conclude by February 2026, one to three winning teams will be selected from each group.

Winning teams will receive grant funding and additional resources to develop and implement their projects. A distinguished panel of experts from academia, industry and finance will evaluate all applicants, selecting the most promising teams based on innovation, potential impact and feasibility of implementation.

For more information on CarbonX 2.0, visit CarbonX Program at carbonxprogram.com/en.

The Philips Viva Collection SoupMaker is the ultimate kitchen companion for creating home-made soups and comfort foods. With a 1.2-litre capacity, it serves two to four portions, making it ideal for families or individuals.

This versatile device features six preset programmes, including options for puréed soup, chunky soup, cold soup, compote, smoothies and milk-based soups. Whether it is a velvety tomato soup or a hearty mushroom chowder, this appliance is your go-to for soupy comfort when the weather turns gloomy.

Powered by SoupPro technology, it delivers blended, steaming hot soups in less than 18 minutes. The stainless-steel blade and jug ensure durability and smooth operation, while its ability to double as a countertop blender makes it a multifunctional asset in the kitchen.

To inspire creativity, the SoupMaker comes with a recipe book featuring 38 recipes, including options marked for a soup cleanse. While some users may find cleaning a bit tricky due to its non-immersible parts, its ease of use and consistent results make it a rainy-day essential. Priced from RM580, the Philips Viva Collection SoupMaker is available for purchase at https://www.amazon.com/Philips-HR2204-70-Collection-Stainless/dp/B07G3K9FM8

In Blockchain Chicken Farm, technologist and writer Xiaowei Wang explores the political and social entanglements of technology in rural China.

The researchers find that rural China has not only adapted to rapid globalisation but also helped innovate the technology we all use today. Their discovery forces them to challenge the conventional idea that people who live in rural areas are backward, intolerant and conservative.

From pork farmers using artificial intelligence (AI) to produce the perfect pig to disrupting counterfeit luxury goods and the political intersection of e-commerce villages, Wang unravels the ties between globalisation, technology, agriculture and commerce in unprecedented fashion. Accompanied by humorous “Sinofuturist” recipes that frame meals as they transform under new technology, Blockchain Chicken Farm is an original and probing look into innovation, connectivity and collaboration in the digitised rural world.

Publisher Farrar, Straus and Giroux and tech magazine Logic (FSG Originals × Logic) dissect the way technology functions in everyday lives. The titans of Silicon Valley, for all their utopian imaginings, never really had our best interests at heart: recent threats to democracy, truth, privacy and safety, as a result of tech’s reckless pursuit of progress, have shown as much.

FSG Originals × Logic present an alternate story, one that delights in capturing technology in all its contradictions and innovation, across borders and socioeconomic divisions, from history to the future, beyond platitudes and public relations hype, and past doom and gloom.

This collaboration features four brief but provocative forays into the tech industry’s many worlds, and aspires to incite fresh conversations on technology focused on nuanced and accessible explorations of the emerging tools that reorganise and redefine life today. — Amazon

Uber launched its first water transport service on the waters of Dal Lake, in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India, on Dec 3. Users can book rides through its app, which offers tourists a more traditional wooden Shikara boat experience. Users of the service can book trips on the Shikaras if they make a reservation at least 12 hours and up to 15 days in advance. Uber also offers water transport services in London and some other cities.

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