SoftBank reportedly plans $50 billion AI and data center investment in Malaysia
SoftBank Group Corp. is said to be preparing a $50 billion investment programme in Malaysia, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced, citing a Bloomberg report. The plan, discussed in a video conference between Anwar and SoftBank chief Masayoshi Son, would target artificial‑intelligence projects, new technologies and data‑center construction in locations such as Kuching, Sarawak and peninsular…
Key points
- SoftBank plans $50 billion AI, tech and data‑center investments in Malaysia, per Bloomberg.
- Investments will focus on AI, new technologies and data centres in Kuching, Sarawak and peninsular Malaysia.
- Malaysia recorded 385.7 billion ringgit ($94 billion) in data‑center investments from 2021 to early 2026.
Malaysia’s push to become an “AI nation” by 2030 underpins the move, with the government having launched a national AI action plan earlier this year. SoftBank has already signed a framework agreement with Singapore‑based Grab and Malaysia’s Petroleum Sarawak Berhad to explore AI and digital‑infrastructure development in Sarawak, including AI computing services. The country is already attracting major cloud players: Google announced a $2 billion data‑center project in 2024, Amazon Web Services plans $6.2 billion through 2038, and Microsoft pledged $2.2 billion for cloud and AI infrastructure. Data‑center‑related investments totalled 385.7 billion ringgit (about $94 billion) from 2021 to mid‑2026, according to the Malaysian Investment Development Authority. SoftBank did not comment to CNBC.
SoftBank reportedly plans $50 billion tech investment in aspiring 'AI nation' Malaysia
CNBC Technology · 26 October 2026
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