KUALA LUMPUR: Yayasan Peneraju has expanded its Financing Scheme with the introduction of a Basic Package, complementing the Silver, Gold and Platinum packages launched last year.
The Basic Package aims to lower barriers to upskilling and reskilling by offering eligible applicants up to RM5,000 in interest-free financing, with no administrative charges and no repayment required upon successful completion of training.
It is open to individuals aged 16 and above, including school leavers, undergraduates, graduates, working adults, as well as the self-employed and unemployed. Training programmes are designed to be practical and time-efficient, with a maximum duration of six months.
Under the Basic Package, applicants can choose from more than 100 in-demand artificial intelligence (AI) courses offered by over 40 approved learning and training institutions.
Yayasan Peneraju said the list of courses will continue to expand as more AI-related training becomes available. The programmes are mapped to the AI Readiness Index framework developed by AI Singapore, enabling participants to identify suitable entry points and progress in a structured manner.
Courses include introductory and applied options such as AI Prompting Essentials and Generative AI Essentials, as well as role-relevant tracks across design, cloud, development, data and security.
Chief executive officer Ibrahim Sani said the Basic Package is intended to make it easier for more Bumiputera talents to begin developing job-ready AI skills.
He added that a study estimates around 620,000 jobs in Malaysia could be significantly affected by AI, digitalisation and the green economy over the next three to five years, highlighting the urgent need for upskilling and reskilling.
"As Anwar Ibrahim has emphasised, 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," he said.
Yayasan Peneraju said it is targeting 12,000 enrolments in technology-related programmes in 2026, with plans to scale up to 50,000 talents annually by 2030.
In 2025, the agency enrolled more than 14,000 Bumiputera talents across its programmes, including nearly 9,000 applications for technology-focused courses, marking the highest enrolment in its history.
