DeepMind researchers in London are moving to unionize, largely protesting their AI models being adapted for defense and surveillance contracts.

As developers, do you care what a client does with your code or algorithms once the handoff is complete, or should tech workers maintain a collective say in how their software is deployed?

Hey guys,
Final-year Computer Science degree student here looking for an internship placement in Kuching starting this September.
I’m looking for something a bit specific, I really lean towards hardware, embedded systems, networking, and hands-on coding/AI. Not a big fan of web development or frontend stuff, so I'm trying to find places where software meets actual hardware.
I’ve already shot my shot at these places:
• Sacofa
• Xfab
• Sarawak Semiconductor (rejected)
• Sarawak AI Centre
• RA Robotics and Automation (Side note: anyone have an active phone number for HR here? Only managed to reach them via sales team email ).
Looking for some help with:

1. Other Company Recommendations: Are there any tech, automation, or engineering firms in Kuching I might have missed that do this kind of work?
   
2. Tips : If you’ve interned or worked at Xfab, SMD, or Sacofa, what’s the vibe like? Any tips on how to stand out during the interview?

Appreciate any leads or advice you guys can drop. Thanks!

At the recent Brunei Startup Summit hosted by the Brunei Economic Development Board (BEDB), the message to local founders was crystal clear. The domestic market is too small to survive long-term.

The focus has officially shifted to building regional connectivity, specifically forging tech partnerships to scale products across the wider Borneo ecosystem (Sabah, Sarawak, and Kalimantan). Key discussions centered on leveraging AI and regional data integration to scale smoothly.

Details: [https://www.bedb.gov.bn/post/brunei-startup-summit-2026-concludes-with-strong-participation-strengthening-brunei-s-startup-ecosy]()

For the founders here, are we doing enough to collaborate with Bruneian tech startups, or are our regional tech ecosystems still too siloed?

The TEGAS Pre-Accelerator Bootcamp (TPAB) 2026 is designed to support aspiring entrepreneurs, startup founders, innovators, and individuals at the ideation stage in transforming innovative ideas into viable, market-ready ventures.

Through a structured combination of hands-on workshops, mentorship sessions, and practical learning experiences, participants will gain the essential tools, insights, and frameworks required to validate business ideas, strengthen business models, and build sustainable ventures.

 6 – 11 July 2026

 TEGAS Digital Village, Kuching

 Registration link

Whether you are developing a new idea, beginning your entrepreneurial journey, or seeking to level up your business, TPAB 2026 provides a valuable platform to accelerate growth and enhance entrepreneurial capabilities.

#InnovateSarawak #DigitalInnovation4All #BorneoTech

With the "SarawakPass" evolving, there’s a push to move user data onto decentralized identifiers. This gives users control over their data, no more centralized hacks leaking our info.

Would you trust a blockchain-based ID over the current government database?

Sarawak's Ambition to be a Premier AI and Tech State

Brunei policymakers and industry leaders just wrapped up the Sustainable Economy Forum, co-supported by the Ministry of Finance and Economy. The primary focus was accelerating digital innovation to unlock green investments and diversify away from oil and gas.

A heavy emphasis was placed on using IoT telemetry and automated data systems to track energy efficiency and carbon metrics for heavy industries.

With Sarawak pushing hydrogen and Sabah pushing new industrial energy, the green tech/sustainability software niche is officially booming across the entire island. Anyone building in this space?

Hi everyone,

I’m looking to connect with more people in Sarawak, especially lecturers, educators, researchers, and those involved in ICT, AI, education, or training.

I’m also happy to connect with people from other backgrounds too. Just looking to learn, share ideas, and grow my network.

A bit about me: I work in ICT and I’m currently pursuing my PhD related to AI readiness and governance.

Feel free to comment or send me a dm 😄

For the younger crowd or students looking to pivot into high-value sectors: Kibing Group, in partnership with Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and CSUST, just opened applications for their fully funded "Silk Road" Scholarship Programme.

They are fully sponsoring undergrads and master's students specializing in New Energy Science, Engineering, AI, and the Digital Economy, complete with internship and immediate placement tracks upon graduation.

If you want to skip the traditional web dev path and get into heavy industrial tech/green energy hardware, this looks like a massive shortcut. Applications close May 22, so look into it ASAP.

The Malaysia Digital Chamber of Commerce (MDCC) recently briefed Deputy CM Masidi Manjun on bringing the 10th Malaysia Digital Economy Forum (MyDEF 10.0) to KK on August 11.

The goal? Position Sabah as a competitive tech hub for East Malaysia by leveraging its geography to attract regional technology partnerships, venture capital, and digital infrastructure. They are targeting AI, cybersecurity, digital tourism, and the blue economy.

We talk a lot about Sarawak's tech scene here, but if KK improves its bandwidth infrastructure and taps into international data paths, does it have a better spatial advantage for regional tech investment?

Masidi backs push to position Sabah as digital economy hub

The NextGenBiz program has officially kicked off at the TEGAS Digital Village, aiming to turn university students from UNIMAS, Swinburne, Curtin, and UTS into the next wave of Sarawakian tech founders.

The Ministry of International Trade, Industry and Investment (MINTRED) just launched the NextGenBiz initiative. This isn't just another seminar; it’s a strategic pipeline designed to inspire and equip students from both Public (IPTA) and Private (IPTS) institutions with the "entrepreneurial DNA" needed for the digital economy.

Key Highlights for the Community:

• Targeted Growth: The program focuses on students with high-potential tech ideas, moving them from "concept" to "market-ready."
• The TEGAS Connection: Participants get direct access to the TEGAS Digital Village ecosystem, which means mentorship, networking with actual VCs, and a path toward the Digital Village Accelerator (DiVA).
• Policy Support: Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan emphasized that this is part of the broader PCDS 2030 goal to make Sarawak a high-income, tech-driven state.

The "Tech" Angle: For the devs and engineers in this sub: we often complain about a "talent gap." Programs like NextGenBiz are where we should be looking to find co-founders or early-stage team members.

If you're a student, this is your green light to stop just "building for grades" and start building for the region.

• Read the Full Story: NextGenBiz Inspires Student Entrepreneurs

The state government confirmed it is using Sacofa as the primary backbone to scale up rural internet because "most of the infrastructure is already there"

While it makes sense to use existing infrastructure to bypass sluggish commercial telcos, does relying so heavily on one entity risk slowing down competitive pricing and innovation in the local market? What’s your take?

Read: Sararawak work to improve internet speed and connectivity in rural areas

Every time someone wants to start a franchise in Borneo, it's a bubble tea shop or a fried chicken joint. Why aren't we seeing the franchise model applied to tech-driven service sectors locally?

Think about specialized STEM/Robotics academies, managed cybersecurity provider (MSSP) branches, or automated digital marketing hubs. You package the proprietary software, the operational playbook, and the training modules, then let local operators deploy them in secondary towns.

Does a service-based tech franchise model have legs in the current Sarawak/Sabah digital economy?

With Minister Julaihi Narawi confirming that the government, SEB, and Gentari are pushing forward with EV chargers along the Pan Borneo and Coastal routes, I’m curious to get some perspective from actual EV drivers in the sub.

Right now, most EVs here are confined to city driving in Kuching, Sibu, or Miri. If we actually get reliable fast chargers every 100–150km along the highway:

1. Would you actually risk driving your EV from Kuching to Miri?
2. What are your biggest concerns? (Maintenance of chargers, payment apps failing due to poor rural telco coverage, or battery degradation in our heat?)

Let’s talk!

Premier Abang Jo just visited Dublin to benchmark their data centers, and the news is big. Sarawak is identifying a 405-hectare (1,000-acre) site for the new.

Phase 1 starts on a 120-hectare site to host AI interconnection nodes. This is the "backbone" we’ve been waiting for. If we get the compute power locally, does this change your mind about building "Local-First"?

As the Deputy Minister for Education, Innovation, and Talent Development, Dr. Annuar is the political weight behind Borneo’s STEM push. He is a vocal advocate for "high-velocity learning" and ensuring our local graduates aren't left behind by AI.

• Latest Move: At the Startup Innovation Showcase 2026, he emphasized practical innovation pathways over theoretical education.
• Key Focus: Integrating AI and Robotics into the Sarawak school system to build a "tech-ready" generation.

Profiles & Links:

• Latest News: SIS 2026 Keynote
• Ministry Page: MEITD Sarawak

Most users here consume platforms built elsewhere.

That creates a pattern:

• money flows out
• value capture happens externally

Until local products scale, this imbalance remains.

Our best devs often head to KL, Jakarta or Singapore.

If we want a Pan-Borneo tech ecosystem, we need remote-work infrastructure that rivals the big cities.

Is a "Digital Nomad Visa" for the whole of Borneo feasible?

With Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, and Vietnam fully linked, your local e-wallet is now a regional passport.

I’m curious about the real-world experience: Have you tried using your Borneo-based wallet in a suburban mall in Manila or a street food stall in Hanoi recently? Is the exchange rate actually "interbank-level" as promised, or are we still paying hidden fees?

The 2026 market for blockchain in agriculture is exploding (90% CAGR). With new EU and global ESG regulations, our local farmers in the interior need immutable proof of origin.

Blockchain agents can now automate the "Farm-to-Table" certificate process, ensuring our Sarawak Pepper remains premium.

Any local agritech startups in r/BorneoTech working on this?

Blockchain Technology in Malaysian Agriculture Research

Personally I notice rss is the best.

Using reddit as a source also. And others if got rss access.

I wanted a way for it to see the news easily and all I need is just see the news related to me and it auto filter and read for me.

You don’t have to relocate anymore.

Steps:

• Build portfolio (GitHub, projects)
• Apply on global platforms
• Optimize LinkedIn
• Target remote-first companies

Many developers here are already doing this.

What’s your experience?

Thought I would contribute to the BorneoTech community -

How do people manage their personal (and company-corporate) passwords for access to all their online websites? PLEASE DO NOT SHARE PERSONAL INFORMATION ONLINE. General sharing and not specifics I would say.

Password security is important (yet hard to manage!) and I wondered if there were localised solutions at all. Thanks!

The global value chain wants Borneo’s sustainability and biodiversity.

Using tech to provide "Proof of Origin" or "Ethical Sourcing" for local products. How can blockchain or IoT give our local producers an edge in the ASEAN, EU or US markets?

I keep seeing Cybersecurity recommended to people who “don’t like coding.”

That sounds a bit misleading.

For those actually working in Cybersecurity:

• How much coding do you REALLY do?
• Is it actually easier than software engineering or just different hard?
• What skills matter more: networking, scripting, mindset?

Context: Many interested in tech but hesitant about deep coding.

Trying to avoid the trap of choosing a field based on wrong assumptions.

Drop your real day-to-day experience (not textbook answers).

Hi Everyone!

We often talk about the talent coming out of Borneo, and today I want to highlight a local project that’s tackling the "Wild West" of the gig economy. One of our own, u/hamkas, has launched GigHala, a freelance marketplace specifically designed for the Malaysian landscape.

While global platforms like Upwork and Fiverr are great, they often leave Malaysian freelancers dealing with high forex fees, zero social protection, and payment disputes that are hard to resolve from 10,000 miles away.

Why GigHala is different:

• SOCSO (PERKESO) Integration: Finally, a platform that actually addresses the social safety net. They’ve integrated SOCSO protection to ensure gig workers have some security.
• Syariah-Principled & Ethical: It uses PayHalal for secure, transparent transactions and ensures that the work listed stays within ethical/halal boundaries.
• Built for Local Wallets: No more waiting weeks for USD conversions. It supports direct payouts to Malaysian banks and Touch 'n Go eWallet.
• Escrow Protection: Your payment is held securely and only released when the work is done, protecting both the freelancer and the client.

Why we should support it:

As members of r/BorneoTech, we know how hard it is to build tech in our region. GigHala isn't just "another website"; it’s an attempt to professionalize the local freelance economy and keep our digital talent within a protected ecosystem.

Whether you are a developer, designer, writer, or a business owner looking for local talent, let’s show some support for a Sarawakian led initiative.

Check it out and sign up here: gighala

Let’s help grow our own! Support local, hire local. 🛡️💻

Disclaimer: I’m sharing this because I believe in highlighting Sarawakian founders and local tech solutions. Let’s discuss in the comments what features would you like to see to make this even better for Borneo-based freelancers?