CYBERJAYA, 16 DECEMBER 2025 – The Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation(MDEC), an agency under the Ministry of Digital (KD), today announced a landmark first-time collaboration with the Chungju City Government, Republic of Korea. This strategic partnership focuses on collaboratively driving Digital Transformation across the agriculture sector, advancing the development of Digital Farmers, addressing national Food Security and boosting the growth of the Digital Economy, in alignment with the Malaysia Digital (MD) AgTech initiative by MDEC.
This strategic collaboration reinforces Malaysia’s commitment to catalysing a vibrant and resilient digital ecosystem development with digital technology adoption serving as key enablers of national digital economy transformation, supporting Malaysia’s aspiration to become an AI Nation by 2030, where AI empowers industries, enhances competitiveness, and improves quality of life for all Malaysians. Digital agriculture is an important pillar of this vision, enabling precision monitoring, intelligent farm management, resilient food systems and focused on inclusive, sustainable and scalable productivity growth through the empowerment of digital adoption.
MDEC continues to collaboratively catalyse Digital AgTech adoption under the Malaysia Digital (MD) AgTech initiative, as part of its broader mandate to operationalise AI across priority economic sectors, including agriculture, reaffirming MDEC’s commitment as the appointed National Strategic Digital Technology Validator by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (KPKM), its official endorsement as one of the national Digital Agriculture Transformation initiatives under the National Food Security Blueprint by Malaysia’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, as well as the recent global recognition by the esteemed Food and Agriculture Organizations of the United Nations (UNFAO).
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MDEC, Anuar Fariz Fadzil, said MDEC remains focused
on translating national AI aspirations into tangible, sector-wide impact. “This first-ever collaboration with the Chungju City Government, Republic of Korea is a strong example of how cross border partnerships can accelerate AI adoption in agriculture, uplifting farmers’ livelihoods, strengthening food security, and future-proofing Malaysia’s agrofood ecosystem, empowered with digital adoption,” he said.
This significant collaboration builds on the successful Malaysia–Republic of Korea Government-to-Government (G2G) Digital AgTech initiative launched in 2022, involving the Ministry of Digital (KD), Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (KPKM), and MDEC from Malaysia, alongside the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) and the National Information Society Agency (NIA). This G2G Digital AgTech initiative successfully deployed three AI-powered Digital AgTech systems in Malaysia, namely the AI Smart Fertigation System, AI Smart Irrigation System, and AI Pest Detection System, marking a key milestone in bilateral digital agriculture technology (AgTech) cooperation towards Digital AgTech adoption at potential scale.
Following continued engagement, the Chungju City Government, together with ecosystem partners SimplyCare Bio (Republic of Korea) and Serunai Commerce Sdn Bhd (Malaysia), a Malaysia Digital (MD) status company, has focused collaboration across three strategic areas: digital agriculture technology (AgTech) knowledge, technology transfer, halal digitalisation, cross border digital ecosystem engagement and the adoption of best innovative practices.
These tripartite engagements have culminated in the Chungju City Government’s commitment to formalise cooperation with MDEC through an official Letter of Intent (LOI), to be exchanged during an official delegation visit to Malaysia led by His Honourable, Mayor Cho Gil-Hyeong today.
In addition, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be exchanged between Serunai Commerce Sdn Bhd, SimplyCare Bio, and the Chungju City Government, marking the commencement of a cross-border collaboration to advance halal digitalisation, digital certification readiness, and trusted digital frameworks for agricultural based products.
The digital economy transformation of the agricultural sector remains a national priority under the National Agrofood Policy (DAN 2.0), the National Food Security Policy Action Plan, and the key strategic thrusts under the National Digital Economy and Fourth Industrial Revolution Council (MED4IRN). Through strong collaboration among the Ministry of Digital, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, the Ministry of Economy, state governments and related agencies, MDEC remains committed to engaging with advanced benchmark countries such as the Republic of Korea to ensure inclusive, sustainable and scalable sectoral growth towards collaboratively catalysing Malaysia’s national Digital Transformation agenda and the continued expansion of the Digital Economy.
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