AWS, the cloud computing division of Amazon.com, launched its local facility — called AWS Asia Pacific (Malaysia) Region — on Aug 22 with plans to invest about US$6.2 billion (RM29.2 billion) in Malaysia through 2038.
The company said the construction and operation of this new AWS Region is estimated to add US$12.1 billion (RM57.3 billion) to Malaysia’s GDP and will support an average of more than 3,500 full-time equivalent jobs at external businesses annually through 2038.
“Hopefully, AWS will boost Malaysia’s GDP by more than RM57.3 billion between 2024 and 2038,” said Anwar at the launch of a report on AWS’s economic impact at a hotel here.
“AWS has consistently exceeded their original projections and delivered results faster than expected.
“Given the pace of AWS’s development, I believe you can move that target from 2038 to 2032,” he said, addressing the firm’s Asean managing director, Jeff Johnson.
He also urged Johnson to focus not only on the quantity of AWS’s Malaysian workers, but also on ensuring they excel in the digital field.
Anwar said it is essential to improve talent development, especially for higher-skilled workers in the sector.
“I strongly appeal (to AWS), since Jeff (Johnson) is here, to focus not just on the numbers but also on developing select groups to excel,” he said.
Amazon cloud computing resources are hosted in multiple locations worldwide. Each AWS Region is a separate geographic area which has multiple, isolated locations known as “Availability Zones”.
AWS Asia Pacific (Malaysia) Region is the 13th in the Asia Pacific. The others are in Hong Kong, Hyderabad, Jakarta, Melbourne, Mumbai, Osaka, Seoul, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo, Beijing and Ningxia.
During his speech today, Anwar said that advancing regional digital integration is a top priority for Malaysia as it prepares to assume the chairmanship of Asean in 2025.
The prime minister said Malaysia’s leadership will promote collaboration among Asean countries to harmonise digital policies, standardise regulations and improve cross-border data flows, positioning the region as a unified digital economy.