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SoftBank plans $50 billion AI push in Malaysia

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SoftBank plans to invest $50 billion in Malaysia, mainly in AI and data centers, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said. According to Bloomberg, Masayoshi Son has picked sites in Sarawak and peninsular Malaysia.

By: Mikola Máté Patrik · · 2 min read

Kuching Waterfront on the Sarawak River in Kuching, Malaysia, with city buildings under a cloudy sky
Image: Marufish / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA · CC BY-SA 2.0, Marufish, via Wikimedia Commons, resized · Source

What was announced?

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Saturday that SoftBank Group plans $50 billion of investments in the country. Citing Bloomberg, CNBC reports (CNBC) that Masayoshi Son spoke with the prime minister by video conference earlier in the week and identified locations in Kuching, Sarawak, and peninsular Malaysia. The investments would focus on AI, new technologies and data centers. SoftBank did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.

The move has a precedent. Earlier in October, SoftBank signed a framework agreement with Singapore-based Grab and Malaysia's Petroleum Sarawak Berhad (Petros) to explore AI and digital infrastructure in Sarawak, including AI computing services.

Why Malaysia?

Malaysia wants to become an "AI nation" by 2030 and launched a national AI action plan this year. It is already one of Southeast Asia's data center hubs:

  • The Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) recorded 385.7 billion ringgit (about $94 billion) in data center-related investment between 2021 and the first half of 2026.
  • Google announced a $2 billion investment in 2024 for its first Malaysian data center and cloud region.
  • AWS plans to invest $6.2 billion through 2038, and Microsoft announced $2.2 billion for cloud and AI infrastructure.

What to watch

For now this rests on the prime minister's words: SoftBank has not shared details, and no timeline or specific projects are known. If it goes ahead, Malaysia becomes one of the largest targets of AI capacity building in Asia. For European players, it signals that countries now compete for large AI infrastructure investment with cheap energy, land and state support.

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