Amazon Web Services (AWS) is planning a new cloud region in Malaysia.
“Today I am happy to announce that we are working on an AWS region in Malaysia. This region will give AWS customers the ability to run workloads and store data that must remain in-country,” Jeff Barr chief evangelist for AWS said in a post this week.
Details about precise location or timelines weren’t shared, but the company confirmed the region will include three availability zones.
In a follow-up announcement, AWS said it is planning to invest $6 billion in Malaysia by 2037.
“The new AWS Region reflects our deep and long-term commitment to customers and organizations in Malaysia, as well as our commitment to serving sizeable and fast-growing demand for cloud services across Southeast Asia,” said Prasad Kalyanaraman, vice president of infrastructure services at AWS. “We look forward to helping Malaysian institutions, startups, and companies deliver cloud-powered applications to fuel economic development across the country and to spur job creation, skills training, and educational opportunities in the communities surrounding our data centers.”
The company pointed to a number of existing AWS customers in Malaysia that will benefit from the new region, including Johor Corporation, Bank Islam, and public broadcaster RTM.
AWS’ live cloud regions in APAC include Singapore, Jakarta, Seoul, Tokyo, Osaka, and Hong Kong. The company is also developing a new region in Thailand.
Kuala Lumpur, Johor, and Cyberjaya are Malaysia’s three main data center hubs. Microsoft announced plans for a Malaysian Azure region in Kuala Lumpur in April 2021. Google announced plans for a GCP region in Malaysia in August 2022. Both are yet to open.
“AWS has committed to the largest international technology investment to date in Malaysia, which will advance our Malaysia Madani vision of a highly skilled, innovative, prosperous, and sustainable economy,” said Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia. “Bringing access to world-class AWS infrastructure, advanced technologies, and cloud skills programs to Malaysia will unlock opportunities for local businesses of all sizes to build and expand globally, cultivate a highly skilled workforce, spur new job creation, and deliver long-term economic growth. Today’s announcement is a vote of support for Malaysia's leadership in the global digital economy, and we look forward to deepening our collaboration with AWS to advance our nation’s cloud-first ambitions.”