KUALA LUMPUR (March 7): Amazon Web Services Inc (AWS)’s investment in Malaysia was mooted back in December 2019, but the cloud computing services provider had put its plan on hold in view of political uncertainties in the country, according to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

“The government had issued a letter of offer to AWS Inc on Dec 6, 2019 [in view of] AWS’s interest to invest in our country. AWS had waited for the right time to finalise their investment in Malaysia, when the political situation stabilised after the unity government came into power,” he told the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday (March 7).

“This was their statement; they were waiting for clear policy direction, stability in politics,” he added.

AWS recently announced an investment commitment worth RM25.5 billion through the year 2037.

Anwar [PKR-Tambun] was responding to Sim Tze Tzin [PKR-Bayan Baru]’s question about the government’s further actions to ensure more high quality investments come to Malaysia.

Anwar, who is also the minister of finance, said one of the focuses by the government going forward is to ensure there is ease of doing business in Malaysia.

“The government will improve the procedures for doing business to reduce bureaucracy, including bringing together all functions such as immigration, incentives, land approval and others, allowing them to be simplified and managed in an organised manner, so that valuable and high quality investments can be achieved,” he said.

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