Kuala Lumpur, 20 March 2025 – Microsoft is bringing a new cloud region to Malaysia in the second quarter of 2025, and it’s a big deal for the country’s digital future. This move is all about empowering businesses, government agencies, and communities to innovate, grow, and thrive in an increasingly digital world.
With this new cloud region, Microsoft is making its cutting-edge cloud services—like Azure, Microsoft 365, and Dynamics 365—more accessible to Malaysian organisations. This means faster, more secure, and reliable access to the tools needed to drive innovation and efficiency. Whether it’s a startup dreaming big or a large enterprise scaling up, this infrastructure is designed to support Malaysia’s ambitions to become a regional tech hub.
But it’s not just about technology. Microsoft is also committed to helping Malaysia build a skilled workforce for the future. Through partnerships with local governments and organisations, the company plans to train over 1 million Malaysians in digital skills by the end of 2023. This initiative aims to ensure that everyone, from students to professionals, can take advantage of the opportunities created by the digital economy.
The project is also expected to create thousands of jobs and contribute significantly to Malaysia’s GDP over the next few years. In May 2024, Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella announced a US$2.2 billion investment to fuel Malaysia’s cloud and AI ambitions. By investing in local infrastructure and talent, Microsoft is helping to lay the foundation for a more inclusive and sustainable digital economy.
This announcement is part of Microsoft’s broader commitment to supporting digital transformation across Asia. With this new cloud region, Malaysia joins a growing list of countries benefiting from Microsoft’s global cloud infrastructure, which now spans over 60 regions worldwide.
Building an inclusive and AI-ready Malaysia
In December 2024, Microsoft introduced the “AI for Malaysia’s Future” (AIForMYFuture) initiative, aimed at equipping 800,000 Malaysians with skills in AI by the end of 2025. The initiative builds on Microsoft’s other recent skilling activities in Malaysia, including its success in providing digital skills to more than 1.53 million Malaysians as part of the Bersama Malaysia initiative.
“With the rapid pace of innovation in Malaysia, the upcoming Malaysia West cloud region is not just a technological infrastructure, it is key to powering the nation’s growing AI economy. Local businesses and organizations will be able to innovate faster and more securely, driving the country’s progress towards becoming the hub for cloud and AI growth in Southeast Asia”, said Laurence Si, Managing Director of Microsoft Malaysia.
He continued, “As a trusted technology partner to the nation for 33 years, Microsoft is committed to supporting Malaysia’s digital journey through strategic investments in infrastructure, talent development, and innovation support – empowering every person and organization to reap the benefits of the digital world.”
Dr. Andrew Lau, Director of Strategic Programs for Microsoft Malaysia said, “As Microsoft commits to transforming Malaysia’s cloud and AI infrastructure, the upcoming Malaysia West cloud region will enable Malaysian companies to scale their innovation in a more seamless way, while offering global businesses a gateway into Malaysia with integrated technological readiness. We are optimistic that the new cloud region will enhance the country’s global competitiveness in a rapidly evolving digital landscape, propelling Malaysia to be at the forefront of an AI-poweredfuture.”
For more information on the Malaysia West cloud region and the opportunities it will bring to local businesses and organizations, visit: aka.ms/MalaysiaCloudRegionPlaybook.
Keen on reading more news from us? Click here for more!
A ’00 Malaysian freelance writer for MugenMilano. Occasionally writes for fun; otherwise, going to the gym and playing video games would be the R&R for Hariz. Having a keen interest in the area of gaming and technology, Hariz’s written materials would mostly be tech-related and gaming news, particularly in adventure, horror, and fighting genre. Doesn’t stop him from writing other interesting topics, though, as long as it is worth checking out.
