KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA — Amazon Web Services (AWS) has announced that it will be investing RM25.5 billion (US$5.7 billion) in Malaysia by 2037, marking the country’s largest international technology investment to date.
The investment will cover cloud computing infrastructure with three availability zones for running applications and storing data securely, with quick access to AWS services.
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia Prime Minister said that the investment would propel Malaysia to become Southeast Asia’s data centre and digital hub for the region, unlocking opportunities for local businesses to build and expand globally.
“Today’s announcement is a vote of confidence and support for Malaysia’s leadership in the global digital economy, and we look forward to deepening our collaboration with AWS to advance our nation’s digital economy ambitions,” he said in a recorded speech at the AWS Malaysia Cloud Day on Thursday (2 March).
According to the Prime Minister, Silverlake Axis, a finance and fintech company founded in Malaysia, has used AWS to digitize and modernize 25 applications, enabling them to offer innovative services to their clients.
He also cited Pos Malaysia Bhd, which, by migrating to the Cloud, has been able to diversify beyond traditional mail and parcel delivery to offer retail, logistics, and other innovative products and services.
According to Bernama, AWS regional managing director for worldwide public sector in Asean, Eric Conrad, said the investment in Malaysia would help power Malaysia’s digital economy.
Conrad added that AWS chose Malaysia to provide support to its existing customers in ramping up their cloud infrastructure.
Conrad also noted that AWS aims to help the Malaysian government develop the skills and expertise needed to implement cloud technology upscale, as well as make better data-driven decisions.
“We have seen a significant acceleration in the pace of adoption in recent years and increasingly, our customers are telling us that they would like to bring their workload closer — they would like to have their data closer, in some cases, to meet their requirements. ”
“We have followed their request and have made the determination that this is the right time to invest in this infrastructure,” he added.
AWS’ investment will have spillover effects into local small and medium-scale enterprises and enhance Malaysia’s competitiveness.
The new AWS region will give developers, startups, entrepreneurs, as well as education and non-profit organisations greater choice for running their applications and serving end users from data centres located in Malaysia.
AWS would be looking at staffing for the data centres and would include local providers for the actual construction and development of the overall facilities.
“We look forward to working closely with the Malaysian government, our local partners, customers and organisations in Malaysia to unlock more opportunities to improve digitalisation, economic growth, and national competitiveness,” he said.
Tesla to set up office in Malaysia
Malaysia media also reported earlier that international Electric vehicle (EV) maker Tesla Inc, has received approval from Malaysia’s International Trade and Industry Ministry to import battery-run electric vehicles (BEVs) into the country, in addition to establishing a head office and network of charging stations.
The company’s presence in Malaysia is expected to create skilled job opportunities and increase local participation in the Tesla ecosystem both domestically and globally.
