Malaysia Partners with Zetrix AI on Global Shariah Governance and Certification for AI
Malaysia and Zetrix AI sign an LOI with JAKIM to set Shariah-compliant AI rules, certification, and a NurAI channel. It builds trust, sovereignty and Malaysia's Islamic AI lead.
Malaysia partners with Zetrix AI to establish a global framework for Shariah-compliant AI
Malaysia has moved to formalize Shariah governance in artificial intelligence. The Prime Minister's Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) signed a letter of intent (LOI) with Zetrix AI Berhad, developer of the Shariah-aligned large language model (LLM) NurAI, to collaborate on compliance, certification, and governance standards.
The partnership targets clear, enforceable rules for how AI is built, certified, and deployed-anchored in Islamic principles and national policy priorities such as data sovereignty and security.
What the LOI covers
- Shariah certification and governance: Joint development of frameworks, ethical guidelines, and certification standards for AI systems aligned with Islamic principles.
- Global advocacy and promotion: Position Malaysia as a reference point for Islamic AI and support the Islamic digital economy projected at $5.74 trillion by 2030.
- JAKIM's official channel on NurAI: A trusted platform for fatwas, halal certification, and verified Shariah guidance-using AI to curb misinformation.
Why this matters for government leaders
- Policy clarity: Establishes a path to certify AI systems used in finance, education, law, and public services.
- Trust and legitimacy: Aligns government AI deployments with Islamic ethics and national expectations.
- Economic positioning: Builds Malaysia's role in Islamic AI and the wider halal digital economy.
- Security and sovereignty: Supports local development, data residency, and reduced reliance on foreign tools.
"This collaboration ensures that NurAI is not only technologically advanced but also firmly rooted in the ethical and cultural values of our nation. The coming together of the Government, JAKIM and NurAI will see Malaysia take the lead in strengthening its global halal position by extending it into the digital economy particularly in Islamic finance, education, and law - making Malaysia a frontrunner in Shariah-compliant AI," said Mohd Jimmy Wong Abdullah, Director of Zetrix AI Berhad.
The initiative aligns with guidance from Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim that national policies should integrate digitalization and AI while staying grounded in Islamic principles and values.
About NurAI
- Malaysia's official national LLM, developed domestically.
- Supports Bahasa Melayu, Indonesian, English, and Arabic.
- Complies with national data sovereignty and cybersecurity policies.
- Reduces dependency on foreign tools and keeps AI knowledge local, trusted, and secure.
Practical steps for ministries, agencies, and GLCs
- Stand up governance: Form a joint unit (policy, legal, IT, compliance, Shariah advisors) to oversee AI use and certification readiness.
- Inventory AI systems: Map current and planned AI use cases. Prioritize those touching public services, finance, education, legal processes, and content moderation.
- Integrate certification: Plan for JAKIM-aligned Shariah certification once standards are released. Define thresholds for approval and re-approval.
- Update procurement: Add clauses for Shariah compliance, dataset provenance, model documentation, audit logs, human oversight, and data residency in Malaysia.
- Risk controls: Establish pre-deployment testing for bias, harmful content, and misinformation. Require red-teaming and incident response playbooks.
- Citizen-facing safeguards: Build clear disclosures when AI is used, escalation to human experts (especially for fatwas and legal advice), and channels for public feedback.
- Capacity building: Train policy, procurement, and technical teams on AI risk, Islamic ethics, and audit practices.
Procurement checklist (add to RFPs now)
- Shariah compliance attestations and readiness for JAKIM certification.
- Model cards, evaluation reports, and change logs for updates.
- Dataset lineage, content filters consistent with Islamic norms, and safeguards against misinformation.
- Data residency in Malaysia, encryption standards, and third-party audit rights.
- Localization: Bahasa Melayu as a primary interface, with Arabic/English/Indonesian where relevant.
Policy outlook
This LOI signals the push for international benchmarks in ethical, Shariah-compliant AI. It supports the halal and digitalization agendas and aims to serve Muslim communities globally while maintaining trust, security, and cultural alignment.
