KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 8): The Digital Ministry, through MyDIGITAL Corporation, is funding access to Coursera’s digital and artificial intelligence (AI) skills programmes through its Rakyat Digital portal.

Under the government-funded Global Learning Pass, Malaysians can access more than 16,000 courses and professional certification programmes offered by leading universities and industry players worldwide.

The initiative forms part of a broader strategy to reach five million e-learners in Malaysia by 2030 through Rakyat Digital, the country’s online digital learning and literacy hub led by MyDIGITAL Corporation.

To date, close to 1.6 million people have registered on the Rakyat Digital portal.

Early uptake of the Global Learning Pass has seen 12,900 learners enrol in 43,000 courses in the first three weeks, particularly in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Johor, Penang and Perak.

While enrolment spans multiple age groups, young adults aged 18 to 35 make up the largest demographic.

The most popular course is Understanding Digital Transformation, a customised course created by MyDIGITAL Corporation using Coursera’s Course Builder.

Designed for beginners, the two-hour course introduces technologies shaping Malaysia’s digital economy, including cloud computing, modern data centres, AI and machine learning, blockchain, the Internet of Things (IoT) and 5G.

Other popular courses include Google’s AI Fundamentals, Foundations: Data, Data, Everywhere and Foundations of Project Management, reflecting demand for practical, job-relevant skills.

The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 estimates that 41% of core skills in Malaysia will change by 2030.

The Global Learning Pass forms part of the Rakyat Digital ecosystem and supports the Malaysia Digital 2030 Action Plan (MD2030) and National AI Action Plan 2026–2030.

Through the pass, Malaysians receive three months of complimentary access to Coursera, with courses spanning AI, technology, data science, business and digital literacy.

A total of 100,000 licences are being rolled out in phases, with the first cohort of 25,000 participants beginning on Sept 16, subject to eligibility and availability.

“Through Rakyat Digital, driven by MyDIGITAL Corporation, the ministry is committed to making AI and digital learning accessible across all segments of society. Expanding access to globally recognised courses and professional credentials through Coursera reinforces our commitment to building a future-ready workforce,” said Digital Ministry secretary general Datuk Fabian Bigar.

“Our primary objective is to empower Malaysians with relevant skills so they can participate confidently and equitably in the digital economy.”

Addressing the business case for digital upskilling, Coursera global head of enterprise Anthony Salcito said generative AI and automation could unlock US$113 billion (RM461.31 billion) in economic productivity across Malaysia, although local businesses have so far captured only about 20% of that potential.

The shortfall is largely attributed to an organisational mismatch, where companies deploy AI tools without adequately reskilling their workforce or redesigning business processes.

“A lot of that potential is still to be unlocked everywhere, not just in Malaysia. Many have been putting AI in first without really understanding applications, so what happens is employees may get some base efficiencies with regards to automation, but haven't been able to really harness AI to actually drive change and productivity,” said Salcito.

“There's often a skills translation issue. The other reality is most of the benefit that companies have seen on AI is reduction in cost. This is true with many technologies and automation actually lowers cost, but then the productivity gains happen later. That's where we see the opportunity gap for AI.”

Salcito added that Malaysian enrolments in generative AI courses had accelerated from one every 19 minutes last year to one every eight minutes this year.

He also cited estimates that 697,000 jobs in Malaysia could be affected by AI and other structural changes over the next three to five years if workers are not reskilled, alongside the emergence of 120 new digital roles.

“This number is going to continue to expand for roles that we can't even imagine yet. [These jobs] will be requiring new skills and new capabilities that are fuelled by new technologies that are coming out every single day,” said Salcito.

Malaysians can register for the Rakyat Digital Global Learning Pass at rakyatdigital.gov.my.