Anwar Says an Unnamed Global Investor Plans US$50 Billion for AI and Data Centres in Sarawak and the Peninsula

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says one of the world's largest investors plans to put US$50 billion (about RM204.3 billion) into artificial intelligence, new technology and data centres in Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia, The Star reported on October 24, carrying a Bernama report. Anwar said the investor told him during a video conference last Tuesday that it had chosen Kuching and the peninsula, and he described it as one of the largest investments in the region.

Speaking in Melaka at the Sentuhan Kasih Madani programme and the launch of the National Cost of Living Action Plan 2030, Anwar said the investment could create better jobs for young Malaysians, including students now in schools and universities. He did not name the investor or give a timeline, sites or the split between Sarawak and the peninsula.

Anwar tied the announcement to political stability, saying investors would not come if the government lacked public confidence or its leaders were constantly quarrelling. He said Malaysia must keep strengthening its capabilities in AI, digitalisation and semiconductors, and invest in workforce skills to move from back-end activities into higher-value middle- and front-end work.

What it means in practice

If confirmed, a commitment of this size would rank among the largest single technology pledges in Southeast Asia and would join a crowded pipeline of AI data centre projects, including SoftBank, Grab and Petros exploring Sarawak AI infrastructure. Sarawak offers hydropower and land, but large AI campuses also raise questions about electricity and water that the government is already weighing as the energy ministry reviews data centre power reservations.

Headline figures from leaders often run ahead of signed agreements, and announced investments can take years to turn into jobs. The skills goal Anwar described also depends on training pipelines such as the higher education ministry's target of 30,000 AI-skilled graduates by 2030.

What to watch: whether the investor is named and a formal agreement is signed, which sites in Kuching and the peninsula are involved, and what local hiring and power supply commitments come with the plan.