Malaysia’s Digital Innovator Programme Cultivates Digital Problem Solvers

Since its launch in 2021, the Digital Innovator Programme (DIP) has firmly charted a new course for Malaysia’s youth. Overseen by the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), in collaboration with the Ministry of Education (MoE) and UKM’s Pusat PERMATA@Pintar Negara, DIP stand as one of the country’s most selective talent pipelines.

Each year, only about 200 students nationwide are selected from those with extraordinary curiosity, aptitude and promise. Rather than relying on conventional, textbook-driven pedagogy, DIP adopts an immersive, project-based learning model. Students are trained across the fields of Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Internet of Things (IoT), Cybersecurity, Computer Science, and even Technopreneurship, all under the guidance of industry mentors, with access to well-equipped Digital Maker Spaces. And the results speak clearly for themselves.

Participants in DIP have not merely experimented, but they have competed and conquered. To date, DIP students have taken part in over 150 national and international competitions.

In 2025 alone, Syafeeqa Aqeela Binti Roshidi, a Foundation 2 student, has clinched a Gold Medal at the Horizon Olympiad Global Round in the USA. Additionally, one of DIP’s first batch student, Lew Jia Jin, emerged as Champion and Top Scorer at the Southeast Asia Computer Science Olympiad (SEACSO) International Round.

Meanwhile, Khaira Adriana Binti Nor Azizi, a Level 2 DIP student and Benjamin Ooi, a Foundation 3 DIP students, represented Malaysia at the prestigious FIRST Global Challenge in Greece, winning multiple awards across categories such as Global Explorer, Video Storytelling, and Social Media Challenge, competing among 190 countries. These are not trivial feats. They are powerful indicators of what is possible when young talent is nurtured within the right ecosystem.

DIP is not merely a digital tech programme; it is a structured, end-to-end initiative shaping Malaysia’s next generation of digital innovators from classroom learning to industry-ready expertise.

In an era where the global economy increasingly gravitates towards high-value digital skills, DIP embodies more than a training ground. It is a bridge from potential to certainty, from promise to impact. However, identifying high-potential talent is important. The real challenge lies in ensuring these students have access to high-quality programmes. Expanding and maintaining such programmes requires adequate
funding and support to truly nurture Malaysia’s next-generation digital innovators.

The recent launch of the Tabung Digital Innovator Programme (DIP) represents a positive step towards strengthening access to learning equipment and software, curriculum development, and the continued expansion of the programme. Malaysia’s future lies not just in infrastructure or technology adoption, but in the minds we nurture today. DIP is doing precisely that. Let’s give these young tech heroes the runway they deserve.

To learn more about the Digital Innovator Programme or contribute to the DIP Fundraising Campaign, visit mdec.my/mydigitalmaker/digital-innovators-programme.