SHANGHAI, Sept 22 2026 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim joined a strategic engagement session between Bank Rakyat and Chinese technology firms Alibaba Cloud and Lenovo shortly after arriving here on Tuesday, as Malaysia seeks deeper cooperation in digital technology, artificial intelligence and fintech.
The session, held as part of Anwar’s three-day working visit to Shanghai and Hangzhou, focused on Bank Rakyat’s digital transformation efforts and potential partnerships spanning Alibaba’s wider business ecosystem. Anwar also welcomed Lenovo as an ecosystem partner in Bank Rakyat’s Fintech Community Hub.
“I welcome Bank Rakyat’s transformation efforts and commitment to strengthening its digital capabilities by exploring broader cooperation across Alibaba’s various business fields, and I welcome Lenovo’s involvement as an ecosystem partner in Bank Rakyat’s Fintech Community Hub,” Anwar said in a social media post.
He added that the collaboration would open opportunities to share technology, expertise and experience to empower micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), cooperatives and local entrepreneurs while improving the delivery of digital services that are more efficient, inclusive and of higher quality.
“Our goal is clear: every strategic partnership built must bring spillover value to the national economy, increase Malaysia’s competitiveness and, most importantly, deliver and guarantee meaningful benefits to the people,” he said.
The meeting took place against the backdrop of Anwar’s fourth official visit to China since becoming prime minister. The trip aims to strengthen bilateral ties, attract high-quality investment in emerging technologies and advance cooperation in the digital economy and technical skills. Anwar is scheduled to meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Hangzhou on Thursday and will attend the WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 conference and the Fifth Global Digital Trade Expo.
China has been Malaysia’s largest trading partner for 17 consecutive years, with bilateral trade reaching US$113.82 billion (RM456.68 billion) from January to August this year. Alibaba Cloud already maintains a substantial presence in Malaysia, including multiple data centres, as part of its expansion in cloud and AI infrastructure across Southeast Asia.
Bank Rakyat, Malaysia’s largest Islamic cooperative bank and an agency under the Ministry of Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development, has been pursuing digitalisation to support MSMEs and the cooperative movement. The Shanghai discussions form part of that ongoing effort to modernise services and expand fintech capabilities through international partnerships.
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