Is AI training HRD Corp claimable in Malaysia?

In 2026, "is AI training HRD Corp claimable?" has become one of the most common questions Malaysian employers ask us. The wave of generative AI at work is real: the EY 2025 Work Reimagined Survey found that 93% of Malaysian employees already use generative AI at work, yet only 12% receive sufficient AI training to use it well. That gap is exactly what HRD Corp funding is designed to close. Carriera is a Carriera Academy Sdn Bhd HRD Corp approved training provider, and below we explain — using HRD Corp's own published rules — how AI training is claimed under SBL-Khas.

Yes. HRD Corp does not maintain a special "AI" funding category — instead, AI courses are claimed through the same SBL-Khas scheme that funds any other approved training. The deciding factor is not the subject; it is whether the course is run by an HRD Corp approved training provider with clear business outcomes, attendance records, assessment and a certificate of completion. AI for productivity, AI for marketing and AI for data all clear that bar comfortably.

In other words, a one-day "ChatGPT and Copilot for everyday work" workshop is treated the same way as a tax or Employment Act course: register, apply, train, claim. The substance of the AI course — practical, assessable, business-relevant — is what makes it eligible, so generic "watch a webinar" content is the kind that gets questioned, not the subject of AI itself.

SBL-Khas (Skim Bantuan Latihan Khas) is HRD Corp's main claimable-courses scheme. It lets employers send staff for training without paying the course fee upfront, because the fee is settled against the company's accumulated levy.

According to HRD Corp's support centre, under SBL-Khas "the course fee will be debited from the employer's account," and the scheme covers online learning, e-learning and remote online learning — so a live Zoom AI workshop qualifies the same as a classroom session (HRD Corp Support Centre). Two rules matter most: only courses from a Registered Training Provider are eligible, and employers with outstanding levy are not eligible to apply. For the full mechanics, see our HRD Corp claim guide.

"AI training is not a special case. If the provider is approved and the SBL-Khas application is in before you start, your levy funds it — the same as any other course."

The money that funds claimable AI training is your own HRD Corp levy. HRD Corp states that employers with 10 or more Malaysian employees must register and pay a monthly levy of 1% of employees' monthly wages, while employers with 5 to 9 Malaysian employees may register optionally at 0.5% (hrdcorp.gov.my — Registered Employers). That levy accumulates in your account; SBL-Khas simply draws on it to pay for approved courses.

Because rates and thresholds are set by HRD Corp under the PSMB Act 2001 and can be revised, always confirm the current figures on hrdcorp.gov.my before budgeting.

The AI courses employers fund most are practical, role-based and short — designed to lift day-to-day output rather than turn staff into engineers. The table below shows the common AI course themes Carriera sees demand for, all of which can be HRD Corp claimable under SBL-Khas when delivered by an approved provider.

Carriera's live training catalogue is backend-driven and changes over time — see the current line-up, including AI-for-productivity and marketing themes, on our training page, and explore the broader programme on the corporate training pillar.

Yes — and it strengthens the case for AI upskilling now. On 23 May 2026 the Ministry of Human Resources and HRD Corp launched PACE (Progressive Acceleration for Capability and Employability), a RM100 million national workforce fund made up of ten strategic programmes, with a dedicated DIGITAL component allocating RM10 million to technology and innovation skills (hrdcorp.gov.my — PACE; Business Today).

PACE sits alongside — not in place of — your normal SBL-Khas levy claim. For most employers, SBL-Khas remains the everyday route to funding an AI course; PACE-style initiatives are worth checking directly on hrdcorp.gov.my because eligibility, tracks and any AI-specific allocations are defined by HRD Corp and updated over time.

Claiming HRD Corp for an AI course follows the same four steps as any SBL-Khas claim. The single rule people miss: the application must be approved before training starts — retroactive claims are not allowed.

If you'd like a hand mapping an AI-for-productivity programme to an SBL-Khas claim — or pairing it with your wider corporate training plan — Carriera has supported training across 50+ companies served. Talk to us and we'll keep it compliant and simple.

Primary sources, live-checked 17 June 2026: HRD Corp Registered Employers (hrdcorp.gov.my/registered-employers), HRD Corp Support Centre — SBL-Khas, HRD Corp PACE (hrdcorp.gov.my/pace), Business Today (PACE launch), EY Malaysia 2025 Work Reimagined Survey. Rates, thresholds and programme details are set by HRD Corp and may change — verify on hrdcorp.gov.my before applying.