Selangor and Google Cloud Forge Pioneering AI Initiative for Public Service Enhancement

Malaysia’s Selangor state government is taking a transformative step in public service with a groundbreaking collaboration with Google Cloud. Through the Teraju AI Selangor initiative, various state agencies will now gain access to a suite of advanced AI tools and specialized training, setting the stage for innovative improvements in public sectors like education, healthcare, tourism, and agriculture.

Innovative AI Sandbox for Government Agencies

The initiative, led by the Selangor Technical Skills Development Centre (STDC) and funded by the state government, establishes an AI innovation sandbox available to participating agencies for a duration of up to six weeks. This controlled environment allows agencies to experiment with and develop AI applications with the support of cutting-edge technology.

Advanced Technology Stack

Agencies will benefit from a fully managed, AI-optimised infrastructure equipped with Google Cloud's tensor processing units (TPUs) and Nvidia graphics processing units (GPUs). This setup ensures a streamlined and cost-effective process for training complex AI models. In addition, the integration of Google Cloud’s Vertex AI development platform offers access to over 160 pre-trained models—including notable models like Google’s Gemini 2.0, Anthropic’s Claude, and Meta’s Llama—enabling even those with limited programming experience to customize and deploy AI solutions.

Other powerful tools include:

• BigQuery: A unified platform aiding in the organization and governance of multimodal data for training AI.
• Gemini Code Assist: An AI-powered coding tool offering personalized guidance to accelerate development.

Engaging Training and Development Process

The project is highlighted by a full-day workshop conducted jointly by STDC and Google Cloud. This practical session is tailored to enhance the skills of AI practitioners and developers, enabling them to identify impactful use cases and develop robust AI prototypes. Over six weeks, continued support from STDC, Google Cloud, and its partner Cloud Space will help refine these prototypes, culminating in a live demonstration to experts from the Selangor state government and partnering organizations.

Strategic Impact and Forward-Looking Vision

Amirudin Bin Shari, Selangor’s chief minister, emphasized that the initiative is designed to equip agencies with the necessary tools and ethical training to leverage AI responsibly, with a strong focus on data privacy and security. This strategy is expected to usher in a more responsive and modern state government, aligned with Asia’s top benchmarks.

Serene Sia, Country Director for Malaysia and Singapore at Google Cloud, remarked on how Selangor stands to gain not only from this initiative but also from significant investments such as a new datacentre at Elmina Business Park. The initiative also dovetails with the state’s development blueprint, Rancangan Selangor, promoting productivity, enhanced decision-making, and overall public service delivery.

Broader Context in National AI Advances

The Teraju AI Selangor initiative follows Malaysia’s broader national strategy to integrate AI into government operations. Earlier, the federal government rolled out the AI at Work 2.0 programme, providing 445,000 public officers with generative AI tools and access to advanced Google Workspace features. Both efforts reflect a robust drive to modernize public sector functions and empower civil servants to concentrate on strategic priorities.

Teraju AI Selangor represents a visionary intersection of technology and governance, promising far-reaching benefits for the citizens and economy of Selangor.