Rais Hussin

Datuk Wira Dr. Rais Hussin Mohamed Ariff is the Chief Executive Officer of the Malaysian Research Accelerator for Technology and Innovation (MRANTI). He leads the agency in promoting demand-driven research and development to position Malaysia as a global hub for innovation and technology. He is also the Founder and Non-Executive Chairman of EMIR Research, a think tank focused on data-driven national and international policy research.

He served as Chairman of the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) from June 2020 and has over 28 years of experience in managing enterprise-level and international programmes in both for-profit and non-profit sectors. His past roles include CEO and General Manager at MCI WorldCom Malaysia, Regional Managing Director Asia Pacific at Teleglobe International Corporation, and Manager for Americas and South Asia at Telekom Malaysia. He also held leadership roles at Axis Technologies Solutions and GoldNet Resources.

Dr. Rais has written over 1,000 articles, reports, abstracts, and papers. He regularly contributes to policy discussions and conferences. He played a key role in preparing the first election manifesto that led to a change in the Malaysian government. His interests include big data, artificial intelligence, public-private partnerships, and technology policy.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics (Hons), a Master’s in Management (Finance), and a Doctorate in Business Administration (International Business) from the International Islamic University Malaysia. He also completed the Senior Advanced Management Programme (ASEAN) at Harvard Business School Executive Education.

Dr. Rais has received multiple national honours, including the Darjah Dato’ Paduka Mahkota Perak (D.P.M.P.), Darjah Cemerlang Seri Melaka (D.C.S.M.), and the title of Datuk Wira. His work focuses on using data, science, and policy to support Malaysia’s development.

Datuk Wira Dr. Rais Hussin Mohamed Ariff was born in Malaysia. He completed his early education in the country and later enrolled at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Economics (Hons) in 1992. He continued his academic journey at the same university, obtaining a Master’s in Management with a focus on Finance in 2002, and later a Doctorate in Business Administration with a specialisation in International Business in 2017. In 2013, he also attended the Senior Advanced Management Programme (ASEAN) at Harvard Business School Executive Education.

Dr. Rais began his career in 1993 at Telekom Malaysia, where he worked as Manager for the Americas and South Asia until 1998. He then joined Teleglobe International Corporation as Regional Managing Director for Asia Pacific from July 1998 to April 2000. From 2000 to 2003, he served as CEO and General Manager of MCI WorldCom Malaysia. He continued his work in the tech and communications sector by becoming Executive Director and CEO of Axis Technologies Solutions (M) Sdn Bhd from October 2003 to June 2006.

In the years that followed, he became increasingly involved in strategic policy, technology leadership, and research. In 2019, he founded EMIR Research, a think tank that conducts data-driven studies on national and global issues. As its President and CEO, he published articles, technical reports, and policy recommendations. He has authored more than 1,000 pieces, including publications presented to international organisations.

In May 2019, he published a book titled 4IR: Reinventing A Nation, through EMIR Research and ztudium. The book explores how Malaysia can respond to the Fourth Industrial Revolution using structured policy, innovation, and research.

In June 2020, Dr. Rais was appointed Chairman of the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), where he worked to drive Malaysia’s digital transformation. During his time at MDEC, he supported initiatives related to the digital economy, start-ups, and innovation, while advocating for inclusive digital access and capacity building.

In 2024, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Malaysian Research Accelerator for Technology and Innovation (MRANTI). MRANTI is a national agency responsible for accelerating research and development to meet market demands. Under his leadership, MRANTI focuses on building a robust innovation ecosystem in Malaysia, supporting tech commercialisation, and ensuring stronger collaboration between research institutions and industries.

Throughout his career, Dr. Rais has actively contributed to public policy. He led the preparation of a national election manifesto in Malaysia that helped trigger a change in government. His policy efforts often centre on public-private partnerships and sustainable development.

He has received several honours from Malaysian states, including the Darjah Dato’ Paduka Mahkota Perak (D.P.M.P.) in 2010 and the Darjah Cemerlang Seri Melaka (D.C.S.M.) in 2009. He was also awarded the title Datuk Wira.

Dr. Rais is regularly invited to speak at conferences, lead discussions, and present policy ideas. His work includes themes such as disruptive change, artificial intelligence, digital economy, and governance. He continues to write articles and policy papers based on data and evidence.

As of 2025, Dr. Rais serves as the CEO of MRANTI and remains the Founder and Non-Executive Chairman of EMIR Research. His work focuses on guiding Malaysia towards a knowledge-based, tech-driven economy through strategic planning, research, and innovation leadership.

His vision can be found in a recent interview with Dinis Guarda. the “4IR – Reinventing A Nation” book: “Together with renowned author Dinis Guarda who is an author, speaker, serial entrepreneur and experienced CEO, Dr. Rais Hussin has co-written the book which is an eye opener for anyone especially policymakers and politicians who have the interest of the nation at heart. This is because for nations to fully embrace digital transformation brought about by the convergence of these frontier technologies via their interoperability with one another, the framework of government needs to adapt to innovations such as the Blockchain which promotes a more decentralised society. 

There is no doubt at all, as this book will show you with many examples, that digital transformation, especially in the form of 4.0 Industrial Revolution, presents both challenges and opportunities. As argued and elucidated in this book, for the first time in history, we could perhaps witness the emergence of an epoch where nations will be reinvented by the citizens who succeed in the early adaptation and adoption of these frontier technologies, rather than their leaders. In their quote that appears in the beginning of the book, the authors succinctly say: The next 10 to 50 years will be the most disruptive in the history of humanity, and nations and all of us need to be prepared, learn, re-skill and walk the talk”.

Datuk Wira Dr. Rais Hussin Mohamed Ariff has received several national honours for his contributions to technology, research, and public policy in Malaysia. He was awarded the Darjah Dato’ Paduka Mahkota Perak (D.P.M.P.) in 2010, which carries the title “Dato’.” In 2009, he received the Darjah Cemerlang Seri Melaka (D.C.S.M.) and the Darjah Seri Melaka (D.S.M.), granting him the title “Datuk Wira.” These honours reflect his leadership in organisations like EMIR Research and MRANTI. He is also recognised for preparing Malaysia’s first election manifesto that contributed to a change of government through democratic elections.