Yayasan Peneraju (YP), a talent bank agency under the Ministry of Economy, has introduced the latest addition to its financing scheme line-up, the Basic Package, aimed at accelerating bumiputera upskilling in AI training.
The Basic Package, opened to the public starting Jan 9, complements YP’s existing Silver, Gold, and Platinum packages which have been offered since February 2025, completing its financing scheme offerings.
Under the Basic Package, eligible applicants may apply for up to RM5,000 in interest-free financing, with zero administrative fees and no repayment upon successful completion of the training.
Applicants can choose from over 100 AI training courses offered by over 40 approved learning and training institutions.
The Basic Package is open to applicants aged 16 and above, and training is designed to be practical and time-efficient, with a duration of no more than six months.
Yayasan Peneraju chief executive officer Ibrahim Sani said an estimated 620,000 jobs in Malaysia could be highly impacted by artificial intelligence, digitalisation and the green economy within the next three to five years, making upskilling and reskilling an urgent priority.
“As the Prime Minister has emphasized, if managed well, AI can deliver more inclusive benefits across healthcare, education, agriculture, services and manufacturing.
“To unlock these gains at scale, we need to broaden access to applied training that enables Malaysians to use AI effectively in the workplace.
“Through the Basic Package, YP is making it easier for more Bumiputera talents to start building job-ready AI skills now,” he said.
In 2025, YP enrolled over 14,000 Bumiputera talents across its programmes, with nearly 9,000 applications for technology-related courses – the largest enrolment in YP’s history.
Building on this momentum, YP is targeting 12,000 participants in technology-related programmes this year, with plans to scale up to 50,000 talents annually by 2030. This trajectory supports the 13th Malaysia Plan objectives, aiming to reach a cumulative 100,000 talents over five years.
For more information, visit Peneraju.org.
