AI Untuk Rakyat 2026 is Malaysia's free national AI course, and this year it comes with a reward. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced on 28 July 2026 that Malaysians aged 18 to 30 who finish the modules on the Rakyat Digital platform get three months of free access to leading AI software. The offer opens on 31 August, Merdeka Day, and the government expects it to reach 100,000 people, according to The Star.
The part that got less attention: the courses are already open, and you do not need to be under 30 to take them.
AI Untuk Rakyat 2026: what was actually announced
| Detail | What we know |
|---|---|
| Programme | AI Untuk Rakyat, run through the Rakyat Digital platform |
| Who qualifies for the reward | Malaysians aged 18 to 30 |
| What you get | Three months of free subscription to popular AI software |
| Condition | Complete the required course modules |
| Modules named | AI Safety, CyberSAFE, Agentic AI, Generative AI, Cloud Untuk Rakyat |
| Opens | 31 August 2026 |
| Expected reach | 100,000 people |
Two things are still missing: which software, and whether the 100,000 is a hard cap or an estimate. Until the Ministry of Digital publishes the tool list, ignore anyone naming specific products.
Which government AI course is free with a certificate?
Go to rakyatdigital.gov.my right now and the module list is sitting there: Agentic AI for All, AI Fluency, AI Safety, Cloud untuk Rakyat, CyberSAFE untuk Rakyat, Generative AI and more. The Ministry of Digital states they are "offered free of charge to all Malaysian citizens", so any citizen of any age can sign in, and most modules end in a certificate.
The free course list on Rakyat Digital, live already. Source: Rakyat Digital, Ministry of Digital
The training is not the new part. The reward is, and nobody has to wait until Merdeka Day to start learning.
How many hours is the AI Untuk Rakyat course?
The 2024 version ran about four hours across two modules, built on activities and quizzes rather than lectures. The 2026 list is longer, so set aside a full day.
Why the subscription matters more than the certificate
The 2024 course crossed one million completions in under six months, according to MyDIGITAL.
What did a million people get for finishing? A digital badge per module, and free entry to the National Science Centre that year. Nothing they could open on Monday morning.
A paid subscription is a different class of reward. People learn software by having it, not by hearing that it exists.
Our worry is the three months. That is long enough to build a habit if someone has a real problem to point the tool at, and short enough to change nothing if they do not.
Is AI Untuk Rakyat 2026 worth it if you are 18 to 30?
The honest case is the tools, not the certificate. Consumer AI subscriptions start around RM100 a month and the higher tiers cost several times that, so three months free for a day of quizzes is cheap.
The certificate is the weaker half. More than a million Malaysians already hold the 2024 badge, so it does not make a CV stand out. What does is using the three months on one real thing: a side project, or something automated at your current job. "I built this with AI" survives an interview question. "I completed the module" does not.
How to get something out of the three months
We build software and use AI tools every day at Gotchaa Lab. Here is what separates the people who keep using them from the people who forget them.
- Start this week, not on 31 August. The reward is for finishing, not registering. Anyone starting on 31 August finishes last, and if the 100,000 is a real cap, the late finishers miss it.
- Do not count on a specific product. Wait for the official list before assuming which tool you get.
- Point it at a problem you already have. Your assignment, or the spreadsheet you hate. A tool with no problem attached gets opened once and forgotten.
- Check yourself in month four. If you would pay for it once the free months end, you found a use. If not, drop it without guilt.
- Keep expectations honest. A certificate and three months of access do not make you an AI engineer. They make you someone who is not scared of the tools.
Managing staff under 30? The same list works, and HRDF claims can fund the next step for whoever sticks with it. More in our guide to whether government AI courses are worth it.
How to register for AI Untuk Rakyat 2026
Registration takes about two minutes and there is no fee.
- Go to rakyatdigital.gov.my.
- Sign up with an email address or Google account.
- Pick the modules named in the announcement: AI Safety, Generative AI, Agentic AI, Cloud untuk Rakyat and CyberSAFE untuk Rakyat.
- Finish them and keep the completion record.
- Watch the official portal from 31 August for the claim step, which has not been published yet.
At Gotchaa Lab we work out which parts of the AI wave are worth acting on. Talk to us, or see how we approach AI solutions.
This article is for general information only. Programme details and eligibility may change. Verify with the Ministry of Digital before making decisions.
