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Ministry of Digital Development and Information
Speech

Transcript of MOS Rahayu Mahzam’s Speech at Microsoft Public Sector Solutions Day 2026

9 April 2026

Mr Chia Wee Luen, MD, Microsoft Singapore

Ms Wong Sook Huey, Senior Director of Public Sector Group, Microsoft Singapore

Distinguished guests, and fellow colleagues.

  1. Good morning. I am glad to be here at Microsoft Singapore’s Public Sector Day.

  2. In today's world, AI development moves at breakneck speed. The potential for these technologies to transform our society and lives, whether for better or worse, has never been greater. Yet as we stand at this exciting juncture, we must ensure that the use of technology remains safe, inclusive, and vibrant for all.

  3. Harnessing AI for good requires more than just technical knowledge or individual capabilities. It demands a whole-of-society effort that brings together the experiences and perspectives of government, industry, academia, civil society, and citizens.

  4. This is why partnerships between the public and private sector are not just beneficial – they are essential. We are grateful that Microsoft has been a committed partner in our AI journey, driving both AI frontier innovation and broad base adoption of the technology.

    1. The AI Pinnacle Programme was announced in 2024 to drive AI innovation, transformation and capacity building within industry and government. Participating companies and agencies were supported with resources and knowledge from Microsoft to develop products and roadmaps for meaningful transformation.

    2. Most recently in February, Microsoft and IMDA also announced the SME AI Adoption Programme. This initiative seeks to support SMEs in their AI adoption journey by providing practical and relevant solutions that address their business use-cases.

    3. In the research domain, Microsoft launched the Singapore Microsoft Research Asia (MSRA) Lab in July last year. This is the first MSRA Lab in the region and will focus on healthcare research and spatial intelligence with our academic institutions.

    4. Within the public sector, Microsoft partnered with the National AI Group and GovTech on the ongoing LAUNCH! AI Incubator Programme, supporting 4 agency teams in product experimentation and prototyping.

  5. These are just a few examples of the meaningful partnerships we have with Microsoft, which some of us in this room have benefitted from. It shows us that when we combine the innovation and agility of the private sector with the public sector's commitment to serving every citizen, we create something neither can achieve alone: technology that truly serves the public good.

  6. Beyond chasing the next innovation, we have a fundamental responsibility to ask ourselves: How do we ensure that no one is left behind in this AI journey?

  7. Thankfully, there are ongoing efforts in this regard.

  8. Microsoft published their 2025 Global AI Adoption Report in January this year, which showed Singapore as a global leader in AI diffusion, ranking second in the world, after the UAE. According to the report, around 60.9% of our population uses AI to learn, work, or solve problems. This is a strong base to build upon, but we believe that more can be done to extend the technology’s positive impact to more citizens.

  9. I am therefore pleased to announce the launch of the MPowerHer programme, a collaboration between Microsoft Singapore, IMDA’s Singapore Women in Tech (SGWIT), mums@work, and Code; Without Barriers. This initiative builds upon the SG Women in Tech community's existing efforts, representing our continued commitment to fostering diversity and empowering women in technology, ensuring AI innovation includes everyone, particularly women and female students.

    1. MPowerHer provides an end-to-end pathway comprising co-branded training sessions focused on practical digital and AI skills, soft-skills coaching to build confidence and career readiness, mentorship and community engagement to sustain momentum. Participants will also be encouraged to use their newly acquired skills to build solutions for real-world use cases. It is heartening to see that Microsoft is stepping forward to support our future female leaders, women re-entering the tech workforce after a career break and women mid-career switchers who want to pursue a career in tech.

  10. This initiative creates pathways that work for our people, recognising that everyone starts from a different place and providing them with the relevant support structures that will help them thrive. 

  11. In addition to creating pathways for our population, the Government must also come in to bridge the gap between innovation and implementation of AI solutions to the end users. We must understand both the technical capabilities on one side and the diverse needs of our citizens on the other.

  12. Take the example of Scribe, an AI-powered tool that transcribes conversations and generates summaries, developed under Open Government Products’ Hack for Public Good initiative. In the process of development, the team worked closely with the end users, medical social workers, to understand their pain points. Medical social workers wanted greater control over how case notes were structured so that important information could be retrieved easily. The result? A tool that saves 36 minutes per conversation - time that allows the social workers to engage more personally with their patients.

  13. But innovation must also be built on secure foundation. We need solutions that understand both our technological needs and governance responsibilities.

  14.  This brings me to our second announcement today - Microsoft's commitment to introduce the GoLocal Microsoft Fabric Unified Data Platform to the Singapore Government. This platform unifies data across silos whilst preserving on-premises data mirroring. It ensures control in alignment with our Government on Commercial Cloud (GCC) operating model, operational resilience, and continuous access to government data.

  15. These partnerships, whether focused on building up capabilities like MPowerHer or strengthening our technical infrastructure like the GoLocal platform, allow us to continue creating AI solutions that deliver real value to citizens. Success comes when every citizen can benefit meaningfully from AI.

Conclusion

  1. To our partners here at Microsoft – Help us build solutions and pathways that work for everyone, including those who struggle with technology. Partner with us to ensure progress serves the public good.

  2. To my colleagues in public service – Embrace these partnerships with confidence, always asking how innovation can serve citizens better.

  3. It takes a whole society to harness AI responsibly. Let us work together to shape the innovation and adoption of technology for our society.

Thank you.

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