SHAH ALAM, Sept 9 - Artificial intelligence could help state governments close gaps in data analysis and speed up public service delivery, according to Selangor's innovation cultivation executive councillor Dr Mohammad Fahmi Ngah.
Speaking at the inaugural Selangor AI Forum today, Fahmi said the technology offers a way around a persistent hiring problem: data scientists are scarce and expensive to recruit. "Data analysis presents a major challenge and gap, but with AI, we can bridge that gap," he told Media Selangor. "Specialists such as data scientists are expensive and very difficult to find, but with AI systems, we can address this issue."
The forum drew about 180 participants to the Selangor Human Resource Development Centre (SHRDC) in Shah Alam.
Measuring service delivery improvements
Fahmi said AI adoption in government administration must produce direct benefits for the public, particularly shorter wait times for services. The state government plans to establish a baseline for how long each service currently takes, then measure reductions after AI tools are deployed.
"The use of AI must ultimately bring benefits back to the people. In terms of government services to the public, we must reduce the time taken to deliver them," he said. "We will establish a baseline and then measure the reduction from that baseline through the use of AI."
Bringing government, industry, and academia together
The forum was designed as a meeting point for private companies, academic experts, and state government subsidiaries to share developments in AI applications across Malaysia and internationally.
"We organised this forum to raise awareness of the latest developments in the use of AI in Selangor," Fahmi said.
The event follows the Selangor AI Hackathon 2026, held last week. Winners will be celebrated at a dinner tonight. Both initiatives are part of the state's effort to strengthen its AI ecosystem by connecting technological solutions with real-world challenges, government priorities, industry innovation, and workforce development.
Why this matters for government professionals
Selangor's baseline-and-measure approach signals a shift toward accountability in public sector AI adoption. If your agency is considering AI tools, document current service delivery times before implementation. That data becomes the evidence you need to show whether the technology actually delivers faster results for citizens - or just adds another layer to existing workflows.
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