Tech & AI
SoftBank's Masayoshi Son plans a $50 billion AI and data-centre investment in Malaysia, Prime Minister Anwar says
Anwar says Son picked sites in Kuching, Sarawak, and on the Malaysian peninsula, but no timeline or funding plan has been announced.
HedgeWeekly Tech & AI Desk ·
SoftBank Group founder Masayoshi Son plans to invest $50 billion (about 204 billion ringgit) in Malaysian artificial intelligence, new technology and data centres, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said. Bloomberg first named Son as the investor on Sunday.
Anwar disclosed the plan on Saturday at an event in Melaka, without naming the investor at first. He said the investor told him about it on a video call the previous Tuesday and had picked sites in Kuching, the capital of Sarawak state on Borneo, and in Peninsular Malaysia. He called it one of the largest investments in the region.
No timeline, project breakdown or funding structure has been made public, and none of the reports carried a comment from SoftBank. Anwar said the money could bring better-paid jobs for young Malaysians. He added that Malaysia needs to move beyond back-end chip work, such as assembly and testing, into higher-value design and manufacturing, and that political stability is key to keeping investors confident.
Why it matters: The plan would make Malaysia a bigger part of the race to build AI computing capacity outside the US and China, and it adds to the long list of commitments Son is taking on across the AI supply chain. For SoftBank shareholders, the questions are how the project would be financed and whether it will turn into firm, scheduled spending. For investors in Malaysian data-centre landlords, power utilities and the server and chip-packaging supply chain, the sites and timing will matter once SoftBank gives details.