HRDF-Claimable AI Courses for Malaysian Companies

This guide provides a comprehensive 2026 overview of HRDF-claimable AI training courses in Malaysia, explaining eligibility rules, funding rates, course types, and how to choose and implement the right programs.

It starts by clarifying HRDF eligibility: providers must be HRDF-registered, courses need clear business-focused outcomes, attendance and assessment mechanisms, recognized certificates, and minimum duration (typically 6+ hours). It outlines 2026 claim rates: up to RM10,000/day/trainer for group training, up to RM1,750/day/participant for individuals, 100% SBL-KHAS subsidy for SMEs (<200 staff), and 50–80% subsidies for others depending on training type.

The guide then categorizes AI programs into four main groups:

1. Executive AI Programs (Leadership & Strategy)

• AI Strategy for C-Suite (2–3 days): For CEOs, MDs, board members. Focuses on AI maturity assessment, build-vs-buy decisions, AI risk management (privacy, ethics, bias), and board-level reporting on AI ROI. No technical prerequisites. Typical cost RM15k–25k per participant, HRDF covers up to 80% (RM12k–20k). Emphasizes ASEAN regulatory context (Malaysia PDPA, EU GDPR, Singapore PDPA).
• AI Transformation for Department Heads (3 days): For VPs, directors, HODs. Covers change management, building AI-ready teams without mass hiring, vendor evaluation, and pilot design/metrics. Requires basic business analytics knowledge. Cost RM8k–12k, HRDF up to 80% (RM6.4k–9.6k). Example: Sunway Group trained 25 department heads (RM250k total, RM200k HRDF, net RM50k).

2. Practical AI Programs (Hands-On Implementation)

• Applied AI for Business Users (2 days): For analysts, PMs, operations staff. Teaches use of ChatGPT/Claude/Gemini, spreadsheet AI (Excel Copilot, Google Sheets AI), AI for presentations and visualization, and prompt engineering basics. Beginner-friendly. Cost RM2.5k–4k, HRDF up to 70% (RM1.75k–2.8k). Highlighted as the most popular HRDF-claimable AI course in Malaysia 2026.
• Low-Code AI Development (3 days): For business analysts, citizen devs, product managers. Focus on Power Platform (Power Automate + AI Builder), no-code chatbots (DialogFlow, Botpress, Voiceflow), integrating OpenAI/Anthropic APIs, and training custom ML models with no-code tools (Google AutoML, Azure ML Studio). Needs basic process/API understanding. Cost RM5k–8k, HRDF up to 70% (RM3.5k–5.6k). Example: RHB Bank trained 40 analysts (RM240k, RM168k HRDF) and built 12 AI workflows in 90 days.

3. Technical AI Programs (Developers & Engineers)

• Python for AI & Machine Learning (5 days): For software engineers, data analysts, technical staff. Covers Python (NumPy, Pandas, Matplotlib), supervised and unsupervised learning, neural networks with TensorFlow/PyTorch, and deployment on AWS/Azure/GCP. Requires basic programming. Cost RM6k–10k, HRDF up to 80% (RM4.8k–8k). Often bundled with AWS/Azure AI certification prep.
• Large Language Model (LLM) Integration (3 days): For developers and solution architects. Teaches OpenAI/Claude/Gemini APIs, RAG for enterprise knowledge bases, vector DBs (Pinecone, Weaviate, Milvus), advanced prompt engineering, and cost optimization. Requires Python and REST API experience. Cost RM8k–12k, HRDF up to 80% (RM6.4k–9.6k). High demand with 6‑month waitlists.
• Computer Vision & Image Recognition (4 days): For software/ML engineers and data scientists. Covers CNNs (ResNet, EfficientNet, ViT), object detection (YOLO, Faster R‑CNN), facial recognition and OCR for Malaysian IDs (MyKad), edge deployment (Raspberry Pi, Jetson), and real-time video analytics. Needs Python, linear algebra, ML basics. Cost RM10k–15k, HRDF up to 80% (RM8k–12k). Includes Malaysia-specific document processing.

4. Industry-Specific AI Programs

• AI for Manufacturing & Industry 4.0 (3 days): For production engineers, plant managers, QC. Topics: predictive maintenance, vision-based defect detection, demand forecasting, digital twins, IoT+AI for smart factories. Cost RM6k–9k, HRDF up to 80% (RM4.8k–7.2k). Example: Flex Malaysia trained 50 engineers (RM400k, RM320k HRDF) and cut defects by 35% in 6 months.
• AI for Healthcare & Medical Professionals (2 days): For doctors, nurses, admins, IT. Covers AI diagnostics, clinical decision support, PDPA-compliant patient data handling, predictive resource planning, and AI chatbots for patient interactions. Cost RM5k–8k, HRDF up to 70% (RM3.5k–5.6k). Some include MMC CPD points.
• AI for Financial Services & FinTech (3 days): For banking, insurance, investment, risk staff. Topics: credit scoring, fraud detection, robo-advisors, algorithmic trading basics, BNM regulatory compliance, churn prediction. Cost RM7k–10k, HRDF up to 80% (RM5.6k–8k). Example: CIMB trained 100 RMs (RM800k, RM640k HRDF) and improved cross-sell conversion by 22%.
• AI for Retail & E-Commerce (2 days): For retail managers, e‑commerce operators, merchandisers, marketers. Covers recommendation engines, dynamic pricing, inventory optimization, sentiment analysis, and conversational AI for customer service (Shopee/Lazada integration). Cost RM4k–6k, HRDF up to 70% (RM2.8k–4.2k).
• AI for Legal & Compliance (2 days): For lawyers, paralegals, compliance and contract managers. Topics: contract review automation, LLM-powered legal research, document classification/extraction, compliance monitoring (Companies Act, PDPA), and e‑discovery. Cost RM6k–9k, HRDF up to 70% (RM4.2k–6.3k).

The guide also explains how to choose the right course:

• Step 1: Assess team level: complete beginners → Applied AI for Business Users; tech-savvy non-programmers → Low-Code AI; developers → Python for AI or LLM Integration; specialists → industry-specific programs.
• Step 2: Define success metrics before training (tasks to improve, baseline, target improvements). Example: legal firm cut NDA review from 4 hours to 1 hour (70% reduction) after AI for Legal & Compliance.
• Step 3: Check provider credentials: HRDF registration (verify via HRD portal), Malaysian case studies, industry-relevant trainers, and post-training support. Red flags include vague outcomes, no syllabi, no local examples.
• Step 4: Plan implementation: appoint an AI champion, pick 3 pilot projects within 30 days, budget for tools/APIs, and schedule 90 days of weekly check-ins. Example: Genting Malaysia trained 30 staff in Applied AI (RM90k, RM63k HRDF, net RM27k), automated 15 processes, saving 200 hours/month and achieving ~1,680% annual ROI.

Common mistakes highlighted:

• Training the wrong people (only IT instead of pairing domain experts with technical staff).
• Choosing by title instead of syllabus and prerequisites.
• No pre-training briefing, which reduces motivation and ROI.
• Ignoring post-training support, causing knowledge to fade.
• Mixing very different skill levels in one session, which hurts both beginners and experts.

The guide then introduces Pertama Partners’ services:

• Course selection advisory: free 60‑minute needs assessment, course/provider recommendations, and connections to vetted HRDF providers.
• HRDF claim management: handling TNA, SBL/SBL‑KHAS submissions, maximizing subsidies, and tracking claim status.
• Post-training implementation: 90‑day support, monthly progress check-ins, and connections to AI vendors/freelancers.
• Custom programs: bespoke, HRDF-claimable courses, combined topics, and on-site training.

The FAQ section addresses:

• HRDF timelines: 5–10 business days for pre-approval; 30–60 days for reimbursement if documents are correct; incomplete submissions can delay 3–6 months.
• Online course eligibility: only if the provider is HRDF-registered for online delivery.
• Bulk discounts: typically 10–20% for groups of 20+; HRDF “Strategic Training” options for >50 participants.
• Eligibility of part-time/contract staff: only if on payroll and HRDF levy is paid; freelancers/contractors don’t qualify.
• International providers (Google, AWS, Microsoft): claimable only if they have HRDF registration via local partners.
• SBL-KHAS vs regular HRDF: SBL-KHAS for SMEs (<200 staff) can cover 100% of costs; regular HRDF covers 50–80% for larger companies.
• New hires: eligible once their first salary (and levy) is paid; onboarding training can be claimable if structured correctly.

Finally, it outlines next steps: book a free 60‑minute advisory call via Pertama Partners’ contact page, let them assess needs and recommend courses/providers, they handle HRDF paperwork and enrollment, and you focus on learning and implementation. Contact details are provided (email, WhatsApp, website). All information is stated as current as of February 2026.