Unpacking the hurdles of Sea’s Malaysian mission

We also highlight an Indonesian social commerce startup that’s scaling down operations. [Read from your browser]( Daily Newsletter --------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome to Tech in Asia's free Daily Newsletter! Get full access to our subscribers-only Daily Newsletter and other insightful analysis on the big and messy topics of Asia’s tech and startup community by [registering here](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Hello {NAME} Sea Group seems to be striking all the right notes as it looks to firmly establish itself in Malaysia through a mega warehouse and a data center - two initiatives that come with nearly US$3 billion in investments and are expected to generate 2,000 jobs. But a closer look will reveal the full scale of the task at hand for the Singapore-based tech titan. A host of systemic issues has raised doubts among investors and former government officials about the Q1 2024 deadline set for Sea’s three-story green facility in Johor, Malaysia’s southernmost state. The skeptics point to Microsoft’s history of delays in Southeast Asia’s sixth largest economy, as detailed in today’s featured piece. The US-based behemoth holds similar dreams of building a data center in Johor, but the project that was announced in 2014 is yet to be completed. Nonetheless, the data center market in Malaysia remains ripe for growth, with demand likely to outstrip supply in the next two or three years. The premium story also sheds light on how Shopee, Sea's ecommerce unit, is following in the footsteps of its rival Lazada through the construction of a mega warehouse in Klang, Selangor. Read on to uncover the finer details of Sea’s plan in Malaysia. -- Shravanth  ---------------------------------------------------------------  THE BIG STORY [Sea Group enters choppy waters with latest Malaysia deals]( The tech titan’s ambitious plans have been panned by Malaysian analysts and former bureaucrats. --------------------------------------------------------------- TRENDING NEWS [Social commerce firm RateS scales back operations]( RateS co-founder and CEO Jake Goh denied reports that his startup was shutting down. [Netflix competitor Viu taps Southeast Asia for growth]( Viu said its revenue for 2022 jumped 45% year on year to US$206 million. [Exclusive: Indonesia agritech firm raises $1.6m to boost farmers’ income]( Semaai will use the fresh funds to expand its farming outputs business. [DeFi expert breaks down crypto terms]( Shane Hong, head of strategy for DAO and KNC tokenomics at Kyber Network, breaks down some interesting crypto terms. [HashKey wins off-platform virtual asset trading license in HK]( The approval allows Hash Blockchain Limited to act as an intermediary to facilitate crypto trades without needing a central exchange. [Netflix may set up shop in Vietnam]( The streaming giant could be the first major US tech firm to have a direct presence in the country, Reuters reported. ---------------------------------------------------------------  INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY An afternoon of mindful wellness Celebrate International Women's Day in style and join Tech in Asia for a special wellness session exclusively for leaders in the tech industry! Take a much-needed break with a relaxing lunchtime yoga session followed by a motivational workshop with Natalie Koh, medical advisor at WhiteCoat, and Olivia Yiong, co-founder of Cheak. There will also be opportunities for group discussions and networking, and all attendees will be treated to a refreshing lunch. 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