There are strong complementarities between Malaysia and Pakistan. For starters, both nations have large youth populations eager to participate in the digital economy.
Malaysia and Pakistan are nurturing vibrant start-up ecosystems, with entrepreneurs creating solutions in fintech, agritech, healthtech, and e-commerce. Both countries are also investing in digital infrastructure and talent development to anchor future innovation.
Speaking at the Pakistan-Malaysia Techconnect 2025 in Kuala Lumpur earlier today, Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo said these shared strengths open doors for deeper collaboration – whether in technology partnerships, investment linkages, or knowledge exchange. Also present at the event was Jam Kamal Khan, Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Commerce.
“Malaysia welcomes opportunities to explore these synergies further, and to learn from Pakistan’s own experiences and innovations,” said Gobind.
“As we look beyond the bilateral relationship, it is equally important to situate this dialogue in the wider context of Asean-Pakistan cooperation. Malaysia is not only a partner in its own right; we are also a gateway to Asean – a region of nearly 700 million people, 460 million of whom are digital consumers.
“Asean is today one of the fastest-growing digital markets in the world, with a projected digital economy value of up to US$2 trillion by 2030.”
Gobind said that since 1993, when Asean and Pakistan formalised their sectoral dialogue partnership, the relationship between the South Asian nation and Southeast Asian countries has expanded steadily.
He added that what began with traditional areas of economic and political cooperation had grown into new frontiers such as the digital economy, ICT, and cybersecurity.
“As Asean and Pakistan deepen ties, Malaysia, as Asean chair this year, stands ready to play a bridging role. Whether it is facilitating digital trade, enabling trusted data flows, or fostering innovation partnerships, Malaysia can help connect Pakistan more closely to Asean’s dynamic growth story.
“Malaysia stands ready to work with Pakistan in exploring how our two nations can advance this vision together. Today, I wish to reaffirm that Malaysia is digital-ready, anchored in trust, and open for business.”
In the second quarter of this year, digital investments under the Malaysia Digital (MD) initiative surged 125 per cent quarter-on-quarter, reaching nearly RM29.47 billion. In the first half of this year, 261 companies approved under MD have committed more than RM42.58 billion, with the potential to create 17,495 knowledge-worker jobs over the next five years.
Key sectors driving this growth include data centres, artificial intelligence, and global business services – high-growth areas where Malaysia is positioning itself as a regional hub of excellence.
