Data Council Talks #12
We're back with a fresh format!
Agenda
6:00 PM - Doors Open, Registration & Check-in
6:20 PM - Food & Drinks / Networking
6:50 PM - Guests to be seated
7:00 PM - Welcome, Intro, Sponsor Highlights & Group Photo
7:20 PM - The Data Dump
7:40 PM - Fireside Chat - The Great Tech Job Makeover: What AI Means for Your Career (Moderated panel discussion)
8:30 PM - Open Q&A with Panellists (Audience participation via Slido)
8:45 PM - Closing Remarks
8:55 PM - Job Pitching / Community Shoutouts
9:10 PM - Final Networking
9:50 PM - Vacate Venue
10:00 PM - Venue Closed
✨ Featured Session ✨
Fireside Chat
"The Great Tech Job Makeover: What AI Means for Your Career"
The chatbot era is dead. We've entered the age of AI agents—and your career will never be the same.
Claude 4 Opus and Sonnet can now work autonomously for hours, executing complex multi-step workflows, whilst OpenAI's latest GPT-4.1 and o3 models can agentically combine every tool—web search, code analysis, visual reasoning, and image generation—in parallel. Meanwhile, DeepSeek's R1-0528 has shocked the industry by achieving reasoning capabilities comparable to OpenAI's o3 at a fraction of the cost, proving that world-class AI doesn't require billion-dollar budgets.
Model Context Protocol (MCP) is revolutionising how AI agents connect to multiple data sources, creating an "agentic web" where agents can discover and interact with services autonomously. These aren't simple task completers—they're hybrid reasoning models that can switch between lightning-fast responses and extended thinking modes, building "tacit knowledge" over time.
But here's the reality check: Microsoft Research reports that 45% of workers already worry about job security due to AI, and according to Gartner, by 2028, 78% of enterprise software will harness agentic AI capabilities. The question isn't whether AI will change your job—it's whether you'll be the one directing these silicon-based assistants or the one being replaced by them.
Our panel cuts through the hype to address what actually matters: Which skills become invaluable when AI can code for 7 hours straight? How do you position yourself in a world where AI agents can autonomously handle customer service, data analysis, and complex problem-solving? What's the difference between AI that augments your intelligence versus AI that executes on your behalf?
This isn't another "AI will change everything" conversation. This is a tactical discussion about career survival and advancement in the agentic AI era, led by practitioners who are already navigating this transformation.
⚠️ Don't get left behind whilst your peers get ahead. Secure your spot now—spaces are limited.
Note: The main panel discussion will NOT be recorded to encourage candid, off-the-record insights from industry leaders. This is your only chance to hear these perspectives.
Format: 45-minute moderated panel discussion followed by audience Q&A
Target Audience: Data professionals, software engineers, and anyone interested in the future of tech careers
Difficulty Level: Accessible to all experience levels
By the way, Xendit has recently undergone some lovely renovations to their office space - another great reason to visit!
Our Panellists
Fahim Surani
Senior Solutions Architect at AWS specialising in FSI, GenAI, and DNB. With experience spanning 4 countries across 3 continents, Fahim architects event-driven solutions and AI/ML workflows for enterprise clients, bringing a decade of experience from telecommunications to gaming industries.
Au Yong Min Hao
Head of Data at Ryt Bank, building next-gen data solutions for Malaysia's modern digital banking landscape. Former Director of Data Engineering at MoneyLion, where he led efforts in making data discoverable, usable, and valuable at scale.
Michael Leow
Principal SRE at MoneyLion and tech co-founder of Carlist.my. Golang enthusiast with deep expertise in scaling reliable systems for high-growth fintech environments. Beyond corporate work, he contributes to civic technology initiatives with Sinar Project, bridging technical excellence with social impact.
Shahril Kamaruzzaman (Bonus Speaker)
Head of Technology-Engineering-Data at Bank Islam Malaysia and Principal Cloud Architect. With 15+ years across AirAsia, Carsome, and fintech platforms, Shahril specialises in cost-effective data architectures and cloud migrations, delivering significant operational savings, including 21.6% cost reductions on enterprise cloud transformations.
Important Note
❗️Registration is required to ensure enough seats and F&B is prepared and overall the space can comfortably accommodate everybody
❗️❗️ No-shows will contribute to food wastage and may cause delays in the meetup
For example, we'd have to add more chairs if there are a lot more people
Another example, we'd like to start the meetup when most have arrived, and we won't know what "most" means if you don't RSVP and check in
📖 This meetup is open to all audiences (from fresh grads to veterans). Whether you're just starting your career or are a seasoned professional, join us to gain valuable insights and meet other like-minded people in the crowd :)
Location Guide
🧭 A detailed guide to Xendit
This link provides a detailed guide with visuals on how to reach the office via different modes of transportation, (big thanks to the Xendit team for this!) please use this instead of reading the below part of the location guide
🚶🏽♂️ Directions to Xendit
From KL Sentral, walk towards Plaza Sentral and locate Block 1A (you can spot Maybank by the lift)
Proceed to Level 8, building registration is NOT required
Full address: Xendit Malaysia, Level 8, Block 1A, Plaza Sentral, Jalan Stesen Sentral 5, Kuala Lumpur Sentral, 50470 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
🅿️ Parking Options
Plaza Sentral (Parking Rates); or
NU Sentral (Parking Rates)
🚝 Public Transport: Head towards KL Sentral LRT and then walk towards Plaza Sentral
📍 Maps links
FAQ
🤲🏽 There is a prayer area in the venue (Xendit office) that can fit 2 females (split by a panel) and 6 males at a time.
🧭 Logistics Upon Arrival: When you arrive at the Xendit office, please register/check in with our team at the registration desk located at the entrance.
🍕 Food: After checking in, we have prepared free food for up to 80 attendees. It's on a first-come, first-served basis, so if you're running late we recommend you to have dinner first.
🪑 Seating: We've set up seating for up to 80 people. If more people attend, we unfortunately need to accommodate with standing arrangements.
🤚🏽 Assistance During the Meetup: If you have any issues or questions, look for hosts and volunteers wearing black t-shirts with purple lanyards.
Sponsors
Venue: Xendit is a payment gateway that helps businesses make payments simple, secure, and easy for customers. We process millions of transactions monthly and provide a suite of world-class APIs to help businesses grow.
Food: Lance Data is a local boutique data engineering consultancy that helps businesses unlock value from their data through modern cloud-based solutions. Lance Data prioritises the best-fit technology for each client's unique needs, specialising in data engineering, data product development, and AI/ML enablement that empowers companies to make data-driven decisions at scale.
About Data Council KL
Data Council is a company that organizes data conferences worldwide and is known for bringing together highly technical speakers and topics under their "no-bullshit" mantra. They empower local communities to bring this mantra to more places around the world.
Data Council Kuala Lumpur (DCKL) is the Malaysian chapter that started in mid-2019. Its mission is to grow the local data community in KL. After a hiatus due to the pandemic, DCKL is restarting their in-person meetups, showcasing the best of the data scene in KL. This upcoming meetup marks the return of DCKL meetups.
To learn more about DCKL and its initiatives, visit our website at https://dckl.my/