Gender diversity has emerged as a business imperative that would shape Malaysia’s competitiveness in the digital economy as the technology sector faces growing pressure to build deeper and more sustainable talent pipelines.
National Tech Association of Malaysia (PIKOM) Women in Technology chapter chair Sandy Woo said that the country’s push into areas such as artificial intelligence, data and cloud services stand to fall short if the technology sector continues to underuse a large part of its potential talent pool.
“As technology adoption accelerates, especially in AI and data-driven businesses, inclusion has become a competitiveness issue,” she said. “It affects how products are built, how decisions are made and how well our companies can compete regionally and globally.”
Sandy explained that the pace of technological change is now outstripping existing talent pipelines, putting pressure on companies to rethink how they attract, develop and retain people. She added that organisations which continue to treat diversity as a box-ticking exercise risk weakening their long-term growth prospects in an increasingly tight talent market.
This is because demand for skills in AI, data, cloud and cybersecurity is rising faster than the industry’s ability to develop new talent, making it critical for companies to widen their talent base rather than rely on the same limited pools of candidates.
She said that the intersection between gender and artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly important, as AI systems are shaped by the data, assumptions and perspectives of those who design them. Without diverse teams, she said, there is a higher risk of embedded bias in algorithms that influence hiring decisions, credit assessments, customer profiling and even cybersecurity responses.
“AI reflects the people who build it,” said Sandy. “If we want trusted and responsible AI, diversity must be part of the development process.”
As a result, PIKOM’s Women in Technology chapter has strategically shifted its focus in 2026 from advocacy to execution, with programmes centred on leadership development, mentoring and cross-industry collaboration.
“The priority now is action and execution. Awareness alone is not enough if we want to build real pathways for more women to move into technical and leadership roles,” said Sandy, who is also eCloudvalley Technology Malaysia country director.
Besides Sandy, other PIKOM Women in Technology chapter leadership and committee members are IBM ASEAN vice-president Catherine Lian as advisor, Alibaba Cloud Malaysia head of business development Millie Yong, HT Consulting Asia chief executive officer Vanessa Tan and Talent In Motion Sdn Bhd founder Camelia Loh, with support from PIKOM head of strategic relations and communications Nurul Asyiqin Nasir.
The push to strengthen Malaysia’s tech talent base also aligns with the country’s broader AI Nation 2030 vision announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, an initiative spearheaded by Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo and Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation CEO Anuar Fariz Fadzil.
“The national ambition is for the digital economy to contribute 30% of gross domestic product within the next four years, a target that will depend heavily on the availability of skilled and future-ready talent,” said Sandy.
“If our tech sector wants to compete at the next level, we need stronger and wider talent pipelines, and this must include women, whose role in building teams, shaping culture and making sound decisions matters just as much.”
