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Oracle to Invest $6.5 Bn in Malaysian Cloud Services Region

(FILES) US multinational computer technology company Oracle's logo is pictured at the Mobile World Congress (MWC), the telecom industry's biggest annual gathering, in Barcelona on February 27, 2024. (Photo by PAU BARRENA / AFP)
(FILES) US multinational computer technology company Oracle's logo is pictured at the Mobile World Congress (MWC), the telecom industry's biggest annual gathering, in Barcelona on February 27, 2024. (Photo by PAU BARRENA / AFP)
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Oracle to Invest $6.5 Bn in Malaysian Cloud Services Region

(FILES) US multinational computer technology company Oracle's logo is pictured at the Mobile World Congress (MWC), the telecom industry's biggest annual gathering, in Barcelona on February 27, 2024. (Photo by PAU BARRENA / AFP)
(FILES) US multinational computer technology company Oracle's logo is pictured at the Mobile World Congress (MWC), the telecom industry's biggest annual gathering, in Barcelona on February 27, 2024. (Photo by PAU BARRENA / AFP)

Tech giant Oracle on Wednesday said it plans to invest more than $6.5 billion on cloud services data centers in Malaysia, joining a list of US titans rushing to build up their AI infrastructure in Southeast Asia.

The firm said the cloud region would help organizations in the country modernize their applications, migrate their workload to the cloud and innovate with data, analytics and artificial intelligence.

Oracle is working to expand its cloud infrastructure business globally. The company recently projected it will surpass $100 billion in revenue in fiscal 2029, driven by increasing demand for cloud services.

Malaysia's new cloud region will be the firm's third in Southeast Asia, following two facilities in neighboring Singapore.

"Malaysia offers unique growth opportunities for organizations looking to accelerate their expansion with the latest digital technologies," Garrett Ilg, Oracle's executive vice president for Japan and Asia Pacific, said in a statement.

"Our multi-billion-dollar investment affirms our commitment to Malaysia as a regional gateway for cloud infrastructure as well as a comprehensive suite of software as a service applications deployed within Malaysia."

The statement also quoted Malaysia's Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz as welcoming the investment, saying it would help firms with innovative and cutting-edge AI and cloud technologies to boost their global competitiveness.

"Oracle's decision to establish a public cloud region in Malaysia underscores Malaysia's infrastructure readiness, and its growing position as a premier Southeast Asian destination for digital investments," he added.

Oracle is the latest global tech giant to announce major digital investments in Southeast Asia. Google-parent Alphabet said in May it would invest $2 billion to house the firm's first data center in Malaysia.

Google on Monday said it plans to invest $1 billion to build digital infrastructure in Thailand, including a new data center.

Amazon and Microsoft have also announced investments worth billions of dollars in the region as demand for AI hots up.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday announced that the country plans to develop a National Cloud Policy.

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Technology

Meta Says Testing Subscription Tier for Instagram

(FILES) This picture taken in Istanbul on August 2, 2024, shows the logo of the social network Instagram on a smartphone. (Photo by Yasin AKGUL / AFP)
(FILES) This picture taken in Istanbul on August 2, 2024, shows the logo of the social network Instagram on a smartphone. (Photo by Yasin AKGUL / AFP)
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Meta Says Testing Subscription Tier for Instagram

(FILES) This picture taken in Istanbul on August 2, 2024, shows the logo of the social network Instagram on a smartphone. (Photo by Yasin AKGUL / AFP)
(FILES) This picture taken in Istanbul on August 2, 2024, shows the logo of the social network Instagram on a smartphone. (Photo by Yasin AKGUL / AFP)

Instagram is testing a pay tier that offers features including letting subscribers discretely view "Story" posts that normally vanish after 24 hours, Meta told AFP on Monday, confirming a report by news website TechCrunch.

Paying users will also get more control over which accounts are permitted to see photos or videos they share in Story posts on the popular social network.

The new tier is being tested in "a few countries worldwide," a spokesperson said, without providing further details.

According to TechCrunch, they include Japan, Mexico and the Philippines, with subscription prices hovering around $2 per month.

Meta launched ad-free, paid versions of Facebook and Instagram in the United Kingdom last year to comply with legislation there.

Social media platforms Snapchat and X have offered paid premium version for several years.

Snapchat's parent company Snap recently reported having more than 25 million subscribers to its premium tier and being on pace for $1 billion in annual revenue.

Content creators at Instagram already have the ability to charge fans for access to exclusive content.

Technology

Microsoft Plans $1 Billion Investment in Thailand

FILE - A Microsoft sign and logo are displayed at the company's headquarters April 4, 2025, in Redmond, Wash. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond, File)
FILE - A Microsoft sign and logo are displayed at the company's headquarters April 4, 2025, in Redmond, Wash. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond, File)
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Microsoft Plans $1 Billion Investment in Thailand

FILE - A Microsoft sign and logo are displayed at the company's headquarters April 4, 2025, in Redmond, Wash. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond, File)
FILE - A Microsoft sign and logo are displayed at the company's headquarters April 4, 2025, in Redmond, Wash. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond, File)

Microsoft plans to invest $1 billion in Thailand over the next two years in cloud services and AI infrastructure, ⁠the Thai government ⁠said in a statement.

The investment includes developing digital ⁠skills of the Thai workforce, the statement said.

The announcement follows a number of data center investments to support AI, as Southeast ⁠Asia's ⁠second-largest economy looks to speed up projects involving data centers, electronics, and power generation.

Technology

Taiwan Probes 11 Chinese Firms for Illegal Poaching of Tech Talent

The Taipei 101 skyscraper is seen lit up before the Earth Hour in Taipei, Taiwan, Saturday, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/ Chiang Ying-ying)
The Taipei 101 skyscraper is seen lit up before the Earth Hour in Taipei, Taiwan, Saturday, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/ Chiang Ying-ying)
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Taiwan Probes 11 Chinese Firms for Illegal Poaching of Tech Talent

The Taipei 101 skyscraper is seen lit up before the Earth Hour in Taipei, Taiwan, Saturday, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/ Chiang Ying-ying)
The Taipei 101 skyscraper is seen lit up before the Earth Hour in Taipei, Taiwan, Saturday, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/ Chiang Ying-ying)

Taiwan said on Monday 11 Chinese firms are being investigated for alleged illegal poaching of semiconductor and other high-tech talent, stepping up efforts to curb technology outflows amid rising geopolitical tensions with Beijing.

More than 185 agents searched 49 locations and questioned 90 people this month in a coordinated investigation targeting Chinese firms suspected of recruiting Taiwanese engineers in Taiwan without approval, Taiwan's Investigation Bureau said.

It said Chinese companies under investigation disguised their ownership by setting up operations in Taiwan ⁠under the names of ⁠foreign-funded shell firms, or by establishing offices without authorization, to recruit talent and conduct business illegally in Taiwan.

Beijing claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control. Taiwan ⁠strongly objects to China's sovereignty claims and says only the island's people can decide their future.

Taiwanese law prohibits Chinese investment in some parts of the semiconductor supply chain, including chip design, and requires reviews for other areas such as chip packaging, making it difficult for Chinese chip companies to operate on the island legally.

The companies under investigation include electronics manufacturer Huaqin Technology, mobile power device maker Anker Innovations, semiconductor and printed circuit ⁠board equipment ⁠producer Circuit Fabology Microelectronics Equipment, power semiconductor manufacturer Yangzhou Yangjie Electronic Technology Co Ltd , and chip designer SG Micro.

The companies did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.

China's scramble for chip talent and expertise has intensified as Beijing pushes for self-reliance in advanced semiconductors, amid a deepening tech rivalry with the US. A special task force set up in late 2020 has handled more than 100 similar cases involving suspected illegal recruitment and business activities by Chinese companies, the bureau said.