Google’s Investment Reflects Global Confidence in Malaysia – PM Anwar
KUALA LUMPUR: Google’s additional investment commitment of US$15 billion (approximately RM61.1 billion) in Malaysia reflects the international technology company’s confidence in the country’s stability, talent and potential to emerge as a leading digital powerhouse in Southeast Asia.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said high-impact foreign direct investment (FDI) was crucial to stimulating the national economy through the development of modern infrastructure, the creation of job opportunities and the strengthening of Malaysia’s position in the global artificial intelligence (AI) revolution.
He described the commitment as a significant milestone that reinforces international confidence in Malaysia’s capabilities within the global technology landscape.
According to Anwar, the investment must align with the MADANI Economy framework and the New Industrial Master Plan 2030 (NIMP 2030), ensuring that incoming investments support the development of local industries, human capital and responsible resource management.
He said the government was not merely seeking to attract large-scale investments but also wanted to ensure that Malaysians benefited through skills enhancement, quality employment opportunities and the development of domestic technological capabilities.
In terms of human capital development, Anwar welcomed Google’s commitment to upskill 800,000 Malaysians, including students from polytechnics and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions.
He said technological advancements must benefit all segments of society rather than create a divide between those with access to AI and those left behind.
“We do not want an AI divide, where only a small group of elites in boardrooms or technology laboratories enjoy its benefits while the rest of the population remains merely spectators,” he said in his speech at the Mantap Malaysia Bersama AI programme at Universiti Malaya here on Wednesday.
Also present were Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil; Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo; Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir; Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Sim Tze Tzin; and President and Chief Investment Officer of Alphabet and Google, Ruth Porat.
Meanwhile, Anwar stressed that Malaysia remained open to international investors and was committed to ensuring that economic growth, technological advancement and social justice progressed hand in hand for the well-being of the people.
He also emphasised that investing in young people and the workforce was essential to ensuring that technology could be developed as local expertise rather than merely imported from abroad.
“When we invest in young people and workers, technology is no longer something foreign or merely imported. Instead, it becomes a capability developed within our own country,” he said.
Anwar also welcomed Google’s commitment to environmental sustainability through its collaboration with Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) to add more than one gigawatt of clean energy capacity to the national grid without relying on public subsidies.
According to Anwar, the technology giant was also committed to strengthening water resource management through the development of off-river water storage facilities and high-tech treatment plants to improve clean water supply and the resilience of local communities.
Astro AWANI