SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son has picked Malaysia for $50bn of investment in AI, new technology and data centres. Prime minister Anwar Ibrahim made the announcement on Saturday.

Anwar said Son told him about the plan during a video call on Tuesday. He spoke in Malacca, at the launch of a national cost of living plan. That is according to the verbatim text his office published in Malay. Bloomberg was first to report the remarks in English.

“He said he had chosen Sarawak, Kuching and the peninsula to expand his investment, among the largest investments in this region, worth $50bn. In what fields? In AI, new technology, data centres,” Anwar said, in TNW’s translation.

SoftBank has not announced the figure. Its press releases since 8 October carry no mention of it.

A framework deal in Sarawak

That day, SoftBank signed a framework agreement in Kuching.…