SoftBank’s Son plans US$50 billion Malaysia tech outlay: Anwar Ibrahim
A push in the country would grow the billionaire’s reach in South-east Asia
SoftBank Group's billionaire owner, Masayoshi Son, intends to allocate US$50 billion towards technology investments in Malaysia, aiming to bolster the nation's presence in artificial intelligence infrastructure. Malaysia's Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim, disclosed this information following a video conference with Son on Tuesday, wherein the Japanese tech investor disclosed his selection of regions within Malaysia, such as Sarawak, Kuching, and the peninsular Malaysia, for investments primarily focused on data centers, AI, and cutting-edge technologies.
Anwar emphasized that this investment would propel SoftBank's footprint in Southeast Asia, a region steadily gaining prominence as a hub for AI infrastructure. SoftBank is presently engaged in the development of a $500 billion data center initiative in Ohio and a project in France valued at approximately €75 billion (US$84 billion).
Additionally, the firm has been constructing data centers in Hokkaido, Japan's northern island, and Sakai, Osaka. Anwar underscored that Malaysia's capacity to entice investments hinges on the government's credibility and political stability, distinguishing the country from others in the region. Malaysia has already emerged as a significant destination for data center investments, attracting funding from tech giants like Amazon, Microsoft, and Alphabet's Google.
The nation documented data-centre-related investments amounting to 385.7 billion ringgit (US$94 billion) between 2021 and the first half of 2026, according to the Malaysian Investment Development Authority. The government is now striving to extract additional economic value from this boom, prompting data-center operators to support local suppliers and leverage the infrastructure to foster AI adoption, local innovation, and high-skilled employment.
Malaysia has set a target to become an "AI nation" by 2030. In this regard, Anwar highlighted the necessity for Malaysia to enhance its AI, digitalization, and semiconductor competencies, as well as workforce capabilities, to transition from back-end technology roles to front-end positions. Earlier this month, SoftBank announced framework agreements with partners to explore AI infrastructure and ecosystem development in Sarawak.
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