Masayoshi Son, chairman and chief executive officer of SoftBank Group Corp., speaks at the Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute Priority Asia conference in Tokyo, Japan, on Monday, Dec. 1, 2025.
Akio Kon | Bloomberg | Getty Images
SoftBank Group is planning to invest $50 billion in Malaysia, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said, according to a Bloomberg report.
Anwar said Saturday that Son had selected potential sites in Kuching, Sarawak, and elsewhere in peninsular Malaysia for the projects. The locations were identified after the two leaders held a video conference earlier in the week, the report said.
The proposed investment will target artificial intelligence, emerging technologies and data center development, according to the report.
The announcement comes as Malaysia pursues its ambition to become an “AI nation” by 2030. Earlier this year, the government introduced a national AI action plan aimed at expanding the country’s capabilities and strengthening its digital infrastructure.
SoftBank also signed a framework agreement earlier this month with Singapore-based Grab and Malaysia’s Petroleum Sarawak Berhad. The partnership will examine AI and digital infrastructure opportunities in Sarawak, including AI computing services and other advanced technologies.
SoftBank joins a growing list of major technology companies investing in Malaysia. Google committed $2 billion in 2024 to establish its first data center and cloud region in the country. Amazon Web Services has said it plans to invest $6.2 billion through 2038, while Microsoft announced a $2.2 billion commitment to cloud and AI infrastructure as well as other digital initiatives.
Malaysia attracted 385.7 billion ringgit, or about $94 billion, in data center-related investments from 2021 through the first half of 2026, according to the Malaysian Investment Development Authority.
SoftBank did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.
