PRIME MINISTER Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has described the proposed US$50 billion (RM202.86 billion) investment by a SoftBank-led consortium in Malaysia's artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure as a strong endorsement of the country's investment climate and political stability.
He said the investment, involving Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia, reflected international confidence in Malaysia's capabilities and would help accelerate its ambition to become an AI Nation by 2030.
Anwar welcomed the consortium's participation, which includes Grab Holdings Ltd and Petroleum Sarawak Bhd (Petros), describing the project as a significant milestone in the country's digital transformation.
"The willingness of global investors like SoftBank and Masayoshi Son to invest in Malaysia reflects strong confidence in our national capabilities, investment climate and political stability," he said in a post on X yesterday.
He said combining SoftBank's financial resources and expertise with Grab's regional AI capabilities and experience in deploying the technology across its business ecosystem would strengthen Malaysia's infrastructure and global competitiveness.
Anwar said the government expected the investment to generate skilled employment opportunities and expand local expertise in AI.
"I expect this investment to create skilled jobs for Malaysians and help more of our rakyat build expertise in AI," he said.
He stressed that large-scale digital investments must also support Malaysia's sustainability commitments and comply with applicable federal and state requirements, particularly those concerning renewable energy use.
The investment is aligned with the National AI Action Plan 2026-2030, which sets out the country's ambition to accelerate AI development and adoption across key economic sectors. - November 10, 2026
