adminAYER KEROH: Google’s decision to invest US$15 billion (RM61.1 billion) in Malaysia reflects the US technology giant’s confidence in the country’s political stability and clarity of economic policies.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim also described the investment as a great gift for Malaysia, which is supported by the country’s industrial development direction.
The Finance Minister said that Google finalized choosing this country as its investment destination after evaluating several countries including those in the ASEAN region.
“I contacted Ruth Porat and, apart from talking to her, also communicated via WhatsApp.
“I asked him to speak frankly with me without being bound by protocol. Tell me directly what Malaysia’s strengths and weaknesses are.”
“Among Malaysia’s strengths is that this country has political stability. It’s not chaotic. There are some grievances, but that’s normal.”
“By-elections, whether you win or lose, are normal and not a problem.
“He also stated that Malaysia is stable, there are no riots and there are no frequent changes of government like before when there were three to four Prime Ministers in a four-year period. So, the situation provides peace,” he said.
He said this when speaking at the 2026 Prime Minister’s Golden Hand Awards Ceremony at the Universiti Teknikal Malaysia (UTeM) Melaka, here on Thursday.
Also present were the Minister of Education, Datuk Seri Fadhlina Sidek; Minister of Higher Education, Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir; and Minister of Works, Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi.
Anwar added that the efficient implementation of policies without delay by the government machinery at the Federal and state levels is among the factors that increase investor confidence in Malaysia.
According to him, Google is also satisfied with the discipline, commitment and qualifications of the local workforce.
However, Anwar said there was still room to improve training and specialization in new technology fields including artificial intelligence (AI).
“He said our workforce is very proud, disciplined, hardworking and qualified.
“But they need further training to ensure that their level of specialization and expertise can be improved,” said the Prime Minister.
In this regard, Anwar also asked higher education institutions and teaching staff to immediately adjust their curriculum and expand areas of specialization to meet the needs of the growing technology industry.
He also revealed that Nvidia needs about 3,000 engineers with additional skills, including in the field of AI.
On Wednesday, Alphabet’s President and Chief Investment Officer, Ruth Porat, announced the investment at the Mantap Malaysia Bersama AI program at Universiti Malaysia (UM) in front of the Prime Minister.
The investment is expected to contribute an average of US$1.1 billion (RM4.48 billion) per year to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) throughout the construction phase in 2027 to 2028.
Porat said that among Google’s major projects is the development of energy-efficient data centre campuses in industrial zones, with new campuses planned in Selangor and Negeri Sembilan.
The construction phase is expected to support more than 37,000 local jobs per year, generating an average annual labor income of US$378 million (RM1.54 billion).
-Agency
