CelcomDigi built an AI chatbot that revives fading Borneo languages — and won a Kancil

Across Borneo, native languages such as Iban and Dusun are fading as urbanisation and globalisation push younger generations toward Malay and English. For the Kaamatan and Gawai harvest festivals, CelcomDigi wanted to celebrate East Malaysia's native tongues in a modern way.

The conventional move would have been a heartfelt festive film about heritage. CelcomDigi went further: it built Maya, an AI chatbot with the personality of a curious, talkative 12-year-old East Malaysian girl, developed with Replyr.ai.

Maya speaks Iban and Dusun, chats with local speakers and learns more with every conversation — asking about rituals and customs, then sharing that knowledge back with the community. A companion film, 'Maya: Pewaris Suara Masa Depan', showed the character journeying across Sabah and Sarawak, mirroring the chatbot's mission.

The work won a Bronze at the Kancil Awards 2025 for Best Use of Cultural Insights in Digital Experiences, and turned a telco's AI capability into a tool communities could actually use, rather than a claim they could only watch.

Don't advertise heritage — build the tool

The tool itself — a chatbot that learns a language by conversation — is the message made real.

Launching for Kaamatan and Gawai tied the technology to the communities' own cultural moment.

Users teach Maya by speaking, so every interaction is both product use and preservation.

The film gave the AI a story, making a technical product emotionally legible.

A brand with a technology advantage can show purpose by building the tool, not paying for a message about it. The product does the advertising.

Maya was launched in May 2025 ahead of Pesta Kaamatan and Hari Gawai, backed by a festive short film and seasonal promotions. The campaign was recognised at the Kancil Awards 2025 with a Bronze for Best Use of Cultural Insights in Digital Experiences, and showcased Naga DDB Tribal's creative-technology partnership with Replyr.ai.