SoftBank's $50 B AI Bet in Malaysia

SoftBank is ready to pour fifty billion dollars into Malaysia's AI push. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim confirmed the plan on Saturday after a video call with CEO Son. They singled out sites in Kuching, Sarawak and on the peninsula for new AI labs and data centres. The $50 billion will target artificial intelligence, cutting-edge tech and massive data-center builds. Malaysia wants to be an 'AI nation' by 2030, after launching a national AI action plan earlier this year. Just last month SoftBank signed a framework with Grab and Petroleum Sarawak Berhad to explore AI computing services in Sarawak. Google, Amazon Web Services and Microsoft have already pledged $2 billion, $6.2 billion and $2.2 billion respectively for cloud and AI infrastructure. The Malaysian Investment Development Authority says data-center spending hit 385.7 billion ringgit since 2021. That's roughly ninety-four billion dollars through the first half of 2026. SoftBank has not replied to requests for comment.