SoftBank to invest $50B in Malaysia's AI push
What's the story
SoftBank Group is planning to invest a whopping $50 billion in Malaysia, as part of the country's ambition to become an "AI nation" by 2030. The announcement was made by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, after a recent video conference with SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, Bloomberg reported. The proposed investment will be focused on artificial intelligence (AI), new technologies, and data centers. Son has earmarked Kuching, Sarawak, and peninsular Malaysia as potential investment sites.
AI development
SoftBank's recent partnerships
Earlier this month, SoftBank signed a framework agreement with Singapore-based Grab and Malaysia's Petroleum Sarawak Berhad.
The deal was to explore AI and digital infrastructure development in Sarawak, including AI computing services and advanced technologies.
This is part of a broader trend of tech investments in Malaysia, with Google investing $2 billion for its first data center and cloud region in the country.
This move is in line with Malaysia's goal to become an "AI nation" by 2030.
Tech expansion
Other tech giants are also investing heavily in Malaysia
Amazon Web Services (AWS) plans to invest $6.2 billion in Malaysia through 2038, while Microsoft has announced a $2.2 billion investment in cloud and AI infrastructure as well as other digital initiatives.
Between 2021 and H1 2026, the country attracted a whopping RM 385.7 billion ($94 billion) in data center-related investments, according to the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA).