MALAYSIA could attract US$50 billion (about RM204 billion) in investment in artificial intelligence (AI), data centres and emerging technologies, with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim stressing the need to prepare local talent for higher-value jobs.
Anwar said a global investor had conveyed the investment plan during a video conference with him last Tuesday, identifying Kuching, Sarawak, and Peninsular Malaysia as potential destinations.
“Last Tuesday, one of the world’s largest investors held a video conference with me. The investor said he had chosen Kuching, Sarawak, and Peninsular Malaysia for an investment worth US$50 billion, one of the largest investments in the region,” he said.
However, Anwar did not identify the investor or disclose details of the proposed projects, their implementation timeline or the number of jobs they could generate.
Speaking at the Sentuhan Kasih Madani programme and launch of the National Cost of Living Action Plan 2030 at the Hang Jebat Sports Complex in Melaka on Saturday, he said the proposed investment could create better employment opportunities, particularly for young Malaysians.
He urged students and those pursuing higher education to prepare for opportunities arising from the expansion of advanced technology industries.
Anwar said Malaysia needed to strengthen workforce training and talent development so that local workers could take on higher-value roles in AI, digitalisation and semiconductors.
The country must also move beyond back-end technology activities into middle- and front-end segments, where greater value could be generated, he said.
Anwar added that sustained investor confidence depended on political stability, effective leadership and a conducive business environment.
“If people don’t have confidence in this government, and if the leadership is constantly quarrelling, investors will not be interested in coming here,” he said.
He also cited peaceful coexistence among Malaysia’s multiracial and multireligious communities as a strength in attracting foreign investment.
Anwar said the ultimate measure of investment success was whether it delivered tangible benefits to the public, including better jobs and an improved standard of living. - October 25, 2026