<p>Amid the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology 2025 (IYQ 2025), we have seen a significant amount of funding is dedicated to various quantum initiatives, with over 30 countries announcing their respective quantum strategies. Within the Southeast Asia context, Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines have launched their respective quantum strategies and roadmaps, while six out of eleven Southeast Asia countries have also expressed their interest in forming a regional quantum ecosystem to pursue a set of common goals. The formation of this ad-hoc grassroots initiative can be seen as an early signal of the importance of quantum diplomacy in the Global South, where scientists from different countries are working together to demonstrate the importance of quantum science and technologies for the region. With this regional initiative, there is also a strong hope to push for relevant national and regional quantum policies. In this work, we provide a brief introduction to science diplomacy and quantum diplomacy. Through a comprehensive analysis to Malaysia’s quantum landscape, we suggest a possible pathway for Malaysia to develop its national quantum strategy. We further highlight some priorities for the regional scientists to further strengthen the role of this regional grassroots initiative in building a diverse and inclusive regional quantum ecosystem. We note that while there are many instances of how science and diplomacy may interact with each other, the early stage of the regional quantum ecosystem remains at providing evidence to the urgency of developing quantum technologies.</p>