Malaysia is at a defining moment in its digital transformation. With over 15 million Malaysians aged 15 to 40, making up approximately 43% of the national population, the next generation will form the backbone of Malaysia’s future workforce. Their voices and skills are essential to building a confident, inclusive, and future-ready digital society.
Held on 19 June 2025, this roundtable discussion explored challenges faced by young Malaysians in an increasingly digital society. Participants from diverse backgrounds shared about their daily interaction with technology, revealing contrasts in access, digital confidence and opportunity. This surfaced the importance of digital inclusion, future-ready skills and resilience in the face of online risks.
Key takeaways:
1. Bridging the digital divide: access, equity and meaningful participation
While Malaysia’s digital infrastructure continues to improve, participants highlighted the urgent need to ensure equitable access to technology, education and opportunity. Connectivity alone does not translate into meaningful digital participation, particularly for youth from rural areas or indigenous communities. Key concerns included affordability of devices and data, lack of local-language learning resources and low digital literacy among marginalised groups. Participants also flagged limited awareness of upskilling platforms, such as Coursera, and the challenge of translating access into impact without adequate guidance or mentorship.
For Malaysia to realise its ambition of becoming a regional digital powerhouse, the participants stressed the importance of investing in inclusive outreach, community-driven education and digital literacy programmes that serve all segments of society.
2. Preparing youth for the digital workforce
Today’s youth are tomorrow’s leaders; yet, many feel underprepared for the modern workforce. There is a significant gap between classroom learning and industry expectations, particularly in rapidly evolving fields like AI, fintech, and product design.
There was strong support for redesigning education curriculum to include:
- Project-based and interdisciplinary learning
- Prompt engineering and AI literacy
- Product and project management skills
- Mentorship and funding to support youth-led innovation
- Career pathways into digital entrepreneurship
Beyond education reform, a supportive ecosystem needs to be fostered to encourage youth-led innovation and digital entrepreneurship. This requires an approach that emphasises on mentorship support, community-forging and funding, alongside clearly defined career pathways.
Furthermore, the participants noted that one’s success in the digital age will not be defined solely by technical expertise. Youths today need to adapt continuously in a fast-changing environment and build meaningful networks that open doors to mentorship, collaboration and opportunity. These foundational competencies of knowing how to learn and knowing how to connect are vital to unlocking both individual and collective potential.
3. Strengthening digital resilience in the face of growing online risks
The accelerating pace of digital adoption brings with it a corresponding increase in risks. There were apprehensions regarding the proliferation of deepfakes, AI-generated scams, online fraud. A significant theme that emerged was the addictive nature of social media algorithms, where many shared personal experiences with doom-scrolling, information overload and anxiety tied to excessive screen time. In addition, the psychological toll of algorithmic addiction was also discussed, noting the reliance of youth on external validation and exposure to unhealthy content that distorts critical thinking.
These reflections highlighted the importance of building digital resilience in:
- Public education on misinformation and online scams
- Algorithmic literacy to help users understand and manage how content is pushed
- Critical thinking and digital wellbeing integrated into school curricula
- Greater regulation or transparency in platform design and content moderation
The roundtable made clear that a Confident Digital Society is not only one that grows economically, but one that protects users, promotes wellbeing and earns public trust.
In conclusion, the insights gathered clearly highlighted the indispensable role of youths in shaping Malaysia’s digital trajectory. From bridging the digital divide, preparing for digital workforce readiness to enhancing resilience towards online risks, participants addressed their desire to both adapt and lead the digital age with purpose and innovation. Realising this ambition demands a collective effort where policymakers must prioritise equitable infrastructure and inclusive access; educators must ensure the effectiveness of curriculum for the digital workforce; and the private sector must invest in mentorship, consultations and creating opportunities for access into the digital economy. With timely support, Malaysia’s youth can create a digital society that is inclusive, resilient and beneficial for everyone.
