09-10-2026 
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Amid recent digital transformation efforts, Malaysia is significantly increasing its investment in modernizing its public health system, allocating an additional RM350 million ($87 million) to enhance internet connectivity and EMR. Meanwhile, the Digital Health Standards Council of Australasia (DHSCA) has launched to assess and provide assurance for digital health technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare, aiming to strengthen governance capabilities.
- Malaysia increases funding for digital health transformation
- Australasia establishes new digital health assurance body
- Saudi Arabia accelerates agriculture sector digital transformation
In a different turn of events, Saudi Arabia launched a new digital transformation initiative to improve its beneficiary services, boost operational efficiency, and support innovation in agriculture.
Malaysia increases investment in the public health system
The Malaysian government has increased investment in the digital transformation of the public health system, Healthcare IT News reported on September 3.
The government will add RM350 million ($87 million) to its RM1 billion ($250 million) investment to accelerate the expansion of internet connectivity and the implementation of electronic medical records (EMRs).
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the additional funding will support the National Digital Health Ecosystem and Connectivity Catalyst or PERSADA, which was announced in June.
The initiative led by the Health and Communications ministries will implement cloud-based clinical management across 150 government hospitals and 2,488 public healthcare facilities in Malaysia through 2028. With the CMS rollout, Malaysia aims for more than half, or 81% of patients, to receive treatment within an hour.
Malaysia has been working to digitize its public health system by the end of 2028 through its “One Record, One Citizen.”
As of October 2025, 160 health clinics in the country have been digitalized, and the Health Ministry targets 2,489 primary health care facilities, including health clinics, maternal and child clinics, community clinics, and rural clinics, to undergo the same process by 2028, BERNAMA said. This year, the Ministry of Health also targets implementing the Total Hospital Information System in 16 hospitals.
“The digitalisation must eventually lead to what is known as ‘One Citizen, One Record,’ which is a national electronic medical record that is truly interoperable and, subsequently, far more effective patient care and population care,” Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said.
“We need a national electronic medical record where public and even private hospital-to-hospital and clinic-to-clinic are interoperable. So you have horizontal integration, you have vertical integration,” he added.
Australasia launches digital health assurance
The Digital Health Standards Council of Australasia (DHSCA)—an independent health organization in Australasia—has begun operating as a clinically led body focused on assessing and providing assurance on digital health and AI-powered healthcare technologies.
DHSCA said it aims to help health services strengthen their governance capabilities and added that it intends to pursue approval in 2027 to accredit services against national safety and quality standards.
As part of its plans, the DHSA will assess AI technologies that fall below the Software as a Medical Device threshold using its six-domain GUARDS framework, with external validation and pilot testing.
“We’re not aiming to replicate the work of governments, jurisdictions or regulators in any way,” said chief executive Chris Boyd-Skinner. “This is about an additional unmet need and supporting organisations that want to build, deploy and scale health technologies safely.”
The DHSCA said it is already working with Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organizations, primary care networks, and private hospital groups on AI governance.
Saudi Arabia launches agriculture fund for digital transformation
Elsewhere in agriculture, Saudi Arabia’s Agricultural Development Fund (ADF) has launched a new digital transformation strategy to improve its services, boost operations, and support innovation.
The strategy was shared during the fifth edition of LEAP in Riyadh. The ADF will be providing a more integrated beneficiary experience across its electronic services and agricultural financing products.
The ADF said in its official X account that the strategy would “enable innovation, strengthen digital excellence, and improve the beneficiary experience and the services provided.”
The initiative includes developing digital solutions and using data and analytics to support overall agricultural decision-making. In addition, it aims to strengthen governance and digital excellence, improve institutional efficiency, and support sustainability in the sector, in line with Saudi Arabia’s broader digital transformation goals.
Over the past years, the Kingdom has been building strong digital foundations for online services, cloud infrastructure, and data capabilities under Vision 2030. In 2024, the UN E-Government Development Index ranked Saudi Arabia sixth globally among the world’s leading digital governments.
Ashwaq Alshathri, managing director of Publicis Sapient Saudi Arabia, said that the Gulf nation is treating digital transformation as a long-term national priority.
“Through Vision 2030, the Kingdom has invested not only in digital infrastructure, cloud capabilities and AI, but also in rethinking how government services can better support citizens and businesses,” Alshathri told Arab News in August. “That creates the conditions to move beyond simply digitizing existing processes and instead redesign how public services are delivered.”
Apart from agriculture, Saudi Arabia has been investing in various digital transformation projects.
According to a report by IMARC from last year, the Kingdom’s e-commerce sector is projected to reach a market valuation of $708.7 billion by 2033. This anticipated growth represents a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15% over the next eight years, driven by advancements in AI and digital payment systems.
As for AI, in 2025, the Gulf nation announced a wave of AI partnerships and initiatives with global technology giants to improve its local ecosystem.
According to Minister Abdullah bin Amer Alswaha, the combined value of AI-themed initiatives is $14.9 billion and is intended to make Saudi Arabia the undisputed leader in the region.
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