CloudMile and Tookitaki put Malaysia’s AI financial-crime controls into focus
CloudMile and Tookitaki’s Malaysia agreement links secure cloud deployment with AI-driven anti-money laundering and fraud detection for regulated financial institutions.
Southeast Asia Connect
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MDEC issues revised Malaysia Digital Status Guidelines, effective 1 July
Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation says revised Malaysia Digital Status Guidelines took effect on 1 July and asks applicants and status companies to review the latest requirements.
ADB trims 2026 Southeast Asia growth forecast to 4.6% in July update
The Asian Development Bank's July outlook lowers its 2026 developing Southeast Asia forecast to 4.6%, citing uncertainty, weaker external demand and higher commodity costs.
Singapore youth tech championship shifts to AI-powered ground robotics
IMDA says 315 students from 66 schools took part in the fourth National Youth Tech Championship, programming robots for an endurance-style obstacle course.
Singapore commits S$48 million to digital content and AI capability programme
IMDA says the four-year programme will support digital content development, new formats and AI-assisted workflows for Singapore media professionals and companies.
ADB and HDBank tie $100 million loan to women-owned MSME finance in Viet Nam
At least 40% of ADB’s financing is earmarked for women-owned micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, according to the bank’s official release.
ADB approves $2 million flood-recovery grant for southern Thailand
The Asian Development Bank says its emergency grant will support public-health services and affected communities following severe flooding in southern Thailand.
Singapore launches AI fluency path for 60,000 accountancy and finance professionals
IMDA and ISCA have launched AIxAccountancy, a free two-phase programme tied to a three-year ambition to upskill 60,000 accountancy and corporate-finance professionals.
M1’s $0.99 roaming launch puts China and multi-market travel back on Singapore telecom watchlists
M1 says its new Worldwide Daily Passport gives customers 3GB of roaming data for $0.99 per 24 hours across 78 destinations, including China and other key Singapore travel corridors.
Maybank Indonesia Syariah and Muslim Pro turn embedded Islamic banking into a live Indonesia product signal
Audax says Amanah Pro is now live with Maybank Indonesia Syariah and Muslim Pro, embedding a Shariah-compliant Hajj savings journey directly inside the Muslim Pro app.
Bitdeer’s Nevada plant adds a Singapore-linked AI hardware manufacturing signal to the infrastructure watchlist
Bitdeer says it has broken ground on a US$36 million advanced electronics manufacturing facility in Nevada, extending a Singapore-headquartered AI and bitcoin-infrastructure player further into hardware production.
The IMF puts Malaysia and Thailand inside Asia’s top AI hardware export group
The IMF’s July 2026 World Economic Outlook update says the top four AI hardware exporters are Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan Province of China and Thailand, with Malaysia and Thailand also seeing stronger growth from the technology cycle.