RetailTech+ 2026: SAMENTA Wraps the Future of Retail Forum at MITEC

Kuala Lumpur, 16 October 2026 — SAMENTA has wrapped RetailTech+ 2026, the third edition of The Future of Retail Forum, which it co-organised with the Malaysian Retailers Association (MRA) and the Malaysia Shopping Malls Association (PPK Malaysia) at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, 15 October 2026.

Officiating the forum as Guest of Honour was YB Datuk Chang Lih Kang, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation. The Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC) and Productivity Nexus were strategic partners for the event.

Minister: let technology empower the workforce, not replace it

In his officiating address, YB Datuk Chang said the real value of a technology does not lie in how sophisticated it is, but in its ability to help a business make better decisions, improve operational efficiency and enhance the customer experience.

He said the use of artificial intelligence (AI), automation and robotics in retail should be aimed at empowering the human workforce and lifting productivity, rather than simply replacing workers.

The Minister urged retail companies, and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in particular, to choose technology that is practical and matched to their business needs, so that it solves real problems such as inventory management and reducing operating costs.

YB Datuk Chang cited the National Technology and Innovation Sandbox (NTIS), run by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) with the Malaysian Research Accelerator for Technology and Innovation (MRANTI), which has supported the commercialisation of 101 locally developed technologies worth RM171.8 million to date. He added that MOSTI has introduced the National Guidelines on AI Governance and Ethics (AIGE), built on seven core principles, to safeguard data security, transparency and user trust in the digital retail era.

SAMENTA’s role on the programme

SAMENTA Central Region Chairman Mr Timothy Liew, of Visata Creative, moderated the day’s second panel discussion — “AI, Digitalisation and Automation initiatives in Retail: Practical Applications That Actually Work” — with panellists Ms Lim Sook Khim of Skywave Systems Malaysia, Mr Wong Kai Han of iDCP Systems and Mr Anson Bailey of KPMG.

Ms Pamy Wong, also of Visata Creative, presented Session 3: “What Makes a Store Profitable Today? Empowering People with Technology to Drive Spaces that Captivate & Sell”.

Two keynotes, seven sessions, two panels

The programme opened with two keynotes: “The Future of Retail in 2026: What Shoppers Expect Now” by Mr Anson Bailey, Partner and Head of Consumer & Retail, Asia Pacific at KPMG, and “The Rise of AI in Retail” by Mr Marvin Tan of Centric Software.

Seven sessions and two panel discussions followed, covering robotics and automation in the retail landscape, converting footfall into revenue, the store of the future, transforming the in-store experience, and how Chinese retailers are deploying AI, digitalisation and automation. Speakers included Mr Edwin Yap of Mr. Robot, Ms Lim Sook Khim of Skywave Systems Malaysia, Ms Abhikhya Katreddy of Lenovo Retail Solutions, Mr Jerry Chen, Group Chief Executive Officer of USEA, Ms Doris Zhang of KK Group and Mr Bevan Tan of Alibaba. Dr Wendy Chin of Intel moderated the first panel discussion, “What it Really Takes to Deploy AI in My Stores?”.

RetailTech+ stays in the SAMENTA programme

RetailTech+ is one of the initiatives SAMENTA has committed to carry through its 2026–2029 term. SAMENTA National President Datuk William Ng said in June that the association would double down on its existing programmes — the 50-city Hyperlokal AI Fest, ASEAN’s first Circular Economy Certification, RetailTech+ and the Digitalisation Grader tool — to lift Malaysian SMEs.