Dr Muhamad Hariz Muhamad Adnan (drhariz.com), HRD Corp certified AI trainer and Senior Lecturer at UPSI, delivers live online corporate AI training in Malaysia: instructor-led sessions run in real time on Zoom, Microsoft Teams or Google Meet, where staff practise ChatGPT, Copilot and Gemini on their own work while the trainer watches, answers and corrects. HRD Corp treats these live virtual sessions as Remote Online Training (ROT), which has its own claim conditions.
This guide is for HR managers, L&D teams and department heads who want to book a live online AI session rather than an on-site workshop or a self-paced course. It covers how a virtual instructor-led session actually runs, what to prepare before the day, how HRD Corp treats online training, and when live online is the better choice. If you are still deciding between recorded courses and live training, read Online AI Courses vs Live AI Training in Malaysia first. If you already know you want the trainer in the room, see how to book corporate AI training in Malaysia for the on-site process.
What live online corporate AI training is (and is not)
Live online training is synchronous. Everyone joins at the same time, the trainer demonstrates, participants try the same task on their own screens, and problems are fixed in the session. It is not a video library, a webinar with the chat switched off, or a recorded course with a quiz at the end. The value comes from feedback: a staff member pastes a real (sanitised) email, report or spreadsheet into an AI tool, gets a weak result, and the trainer shows why and how to improve the prompt.
Generative AI, the family of tools that produce text, images, summaries and analysis from a prompt, is well suited to this format because almost every exercise happens inside a browser. There is no lab equipment to share, so a well-run virtual session can be as hands-on as a classroom one.
How a live virtual instructor-led AI session works
Platform and set-up
Most Malaysian companies use the platform they already license: Microsoft Teams for Microsoft 365 organisations, Google Meet for Google Workspace users, or Zoom. Using your own platform avoids IT approval delays and lets breakout rooms, polls and file sharing work with your existing security settings. Participants ideally have two screens, or a laptop plus a second device, so they can watch the demonstration and work at the same time.
Class size
Hands-on AI work needs attention from the trainer, so live online cohorts work best at a size where the trainer can review individual outputs and use breakout rooms. Larger audiences can attend an awareness briefing, but practical prompt-writing sessions should be kept small enough that every participant gets feedback at least once per module.
Session length and cohort structure
Screen fatigue is real. Instead of one long day, many teams split the same content into two or three shorter live sessions across a week, with a short practice task between them. This also lets staff apply a technique to real work and bring the result back to the next session. A common pattern is a foundations session on prompting and responsible use, followed by role-specific sessions for, for example, HR, finance or customer service.
Pre-work and recordings
Good sessions start before the call. Typical pre-work includes confirming each participant can log in to the approved AI tool, a short skills survey, and asking every participant to bring one real task they want to speed up. Whether sessions are recorded should be agreed in advance: recordings help staff who miss a segment, but some organisations restrict recording when internal documents appear on screen.
What to prepare before the day
Use this checklist when you book a live online session:
- Tool access: confirm which AI tools are approved (company Copilot licence, ChatGPT Team or Enterprise, Gemini in Google Workspace, or free versions) and test log-ins at least a day before.
- Data rules: share your internal AI or data policy with the trainer so exercises use sanitised or public data and respect the Personal Data Protection Act 2010 (PDPA).
- Participant list: names, roles and departments so examples can be tailored, plus a single coordinator who handles joining links.
- Attendance tracking: make sure the platform can produce a participant attendance report with join and leave times, because you will need it for any HRD Corp claim.
- Quiet space: ask staff to join from a meeting room or with headphones, with email and chat notifications paused.
- Follow-up owner: name someone who will collect the prompt templates produced in the session and share them internally.
HRD Corp rules for online training
HRD Corp, Malaysia’s Human Resource Development Corporation, allows registered employers to claim approved training against their levy. Live online sessions fall under what HRD Corp calls Remote Online Training (ROT). Based on the HRD Corp support centre FAQ on ROT, the points employers most often need are:
- Minimum duration: the FAQ states a minimum training duration of four hours, and hours may be accumulated across sessions to reach it, which suits the split-session format above.
- Attendance evidence: claims rely on attendance reports generated by the online platform, alongside the course content with dates and times, invoices and the trainer profile.
- Access for HRD Corp officers: training providers are expected to give HRD Corp officers access to the live session for verification when requested, with advance notice.
- Hybrid programmes: if a programme mixes on-site and online delivery, HRD Corp treats it as hybrid, and the schedule should show which method applies to each session.
- Cost limits: online training has its own allowable cost limits under the HRD Corp Allowable Cost Matrix, which differ from physical training.
HRD Corp updates its guidelines and cost matrix from time to time, so always check the current version on hrdcorp.gov.my and the HRD Corp support centre before you apply, and apply for the grant before the training starts. For the course list and claim schemes, see HRD Corp Claimable AI Training Courses in Malaysia.
Live online vs on-site: when to choose which
| Situation | Better fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Staff spread across several states or branches | Live online | One cohort without travel; everyone gets the same content. |
| East Malaysia or remote sites | Live online, or blended | Removes flight and accommodation costs; see AI training for Sabah and Sarawak companies. |
| Leadership AI strategy workshop | On-site | Discussion, prioritisation and decision-making work better in a room. |
| Staff new to computers or AI tools | On-site | The trainer can walk around and fix set-up problems directly. |
| Training spread over several weeks | Live online | Short sessions with practice in between are easier to schedule. |
| Mixed audience in one headquarters | On-site or hybrid | Hybrid works if the online group has its own facilitator support. |
How to book a live online session with Dr Hariz
Dr Muhamad Hariz Bin Muhamad Adnan holds a Doctorate in Artificial Intelligence and is a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Computing and Meta-Technology, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI). As an HRD Corp certified AI trainer, he runs corporate AI training in Malaysia on-site, as live virtual training for distributed or hybrid teams, and as blended programmes, in Bahasa Melayu, English or bilingually. For schools, universities and education agencies, see AI for education in Malaysia.
A typical booking runs like this: a short call to agree goals, audience and tools; a proposed outline and schedule split into live sessions; your HRD Corp grant application with that schedule; a platform and log-in test; then the live sessions, followed by shared prompt templates and a short review of what staff are using a few weeks later. To start, contact Dr Hariz with your team size, preferred platform and the tasks you want AI to help with.
Frequently asked questions
It can be. HRD Corp treats live online sessions as Remote Online Training (ROT), which is claimable when the grant is approved before training and the provider supplies the required evidence, including system-generated attendance reports. Check the current ROT guidelines and cost matrix on hrdcorp.gov.my before applying.
Use the platform your company already licenses, usually Microsoft Teams, Google Meet or Zoom. What matters most is that it supports screen sharing, breakout rooms and an attendance report with join and leave times.
Shorter sessions work better online. Many teams split a programme into two or three live sessions of a few hours each across a week, which also helps meet HRD Corp’s minimum duration because ROT hours can be accumulated.
For hands-on tool skills such as prompting ChatGPT, Copilot or Gemini, a well-run live online session can be as effective as a classroom, because the work happens in a browser and the trainer can review screens. Leadership strategy workshops and beginners who struggle with set-up usually benefit more from on-site delivery.
Yes. Dr Hariz delivers live online AI training in Bahasa Melayu, English or bilingually, and can prepare prompt examples in both languages.
