Tencent opens new office in Malaysia

The new office in Kuala Lumpur can host up to 500 employees as the Chinese tech company looks to support its growing presence in the country.

Tencent has opened its new office in Kuala Lumpur as the Chinese tech company doubles its workforce in 2025 as it looks to establish long term commitment to support the local ecosystem.

Having entered the Malaysian market back in 2013, Tencent has been an active part of Malaysia’s fast-growing digital economy, driving innovation and value creation across different verticals which includes games & entertainment, payments, AI and aloud.

As the company is on track to achieve strong double-digit growth by the end of 2026, more than 90% of its Malaysia team are highly skilled professionals in development operations, data analysis, content compliance, and customer experience. The new office will also serve as a strategic base for Tencent’s international growth effort, offering space for up to 500 staff and allowing for additional expansion as the operation scales.

According to Judy Wong, Country Manager of Tencent Malaysia, the country’s strong digital infrastructure, supportive policies, and highly skilled talent make it an ideal base for digital innovation.

“This new office marks the beginning of an exciting next chapter, where we will deepen our Cloud and AI innovation partnerships, support Malaysia’s digital ambitions, cross-border collaboration, and continue nurturing local creative and technology talent,” said Wong in her speech at the launch of the new office.

During a media conference, Wong also explained that for Tencent, Malaysia is more than just a market for them.

“We're really seeing it (Malaysia) as an innovation-based talent hub, and also a strategic location for our regional growth and also global innovations. So apart from business, we are really looking at leveraging our office here to engage more talent to support our innovations. So, we're looking to more hiring at the same time, also looking into talent development programs,” said Wong.

Wong also pointed out that Tencent will be actively working with local universities and local agencies to develop programs to help develop skill sets in terms of AI, cloud, and also in gaming and creativity as well as to help supplement and build a stronger talent pipeline for the business operations.

In his remarks at the launch event, Gobind Singh Deo, Minister of Digital, Malaysia, said, “Tencent’s expansion in Malaysia demonstrates the growth of our digital economy and the ability of the local workforce to meet the demands of leading internet companies in today’s deeply interconnected global economy. We welcome Tencent’s continued commitment and investment in Malaysia as a strategic base for talent development and global collaboration.”

“For Malaysia, this means more than an office opening. It means investment, job creation, and skills development. For Tencent, it means access to talent, innovation, and regional markets. Together, we are advancing a shared vision of digital leadership that benefits the people of Malaysia. Malaysia will serve as one of Tencent’s key international Global Tech, Digital Innovation, and Customer Experience Hubs. This means opportunities for our young talent,” added the minister.

Growing the digital ecosystem

At the opening ceremony, Tencent Cloud signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Opensys Technologies and Boost to drive ecosystem collaborations with partners to deploy Tencent Cloud's PalmAI, strengthening the country's position as a testing ground for cutting-edge digital innovation.

PalmAI uses is Tencent Cloud’s palm verification solution. Users would just need to scan their palm for payments to ensure a faster and smoother transaction. In September last year, Tencent Cloud announced that it will introduce its advanced palm verification technology to the global market.

Apart from payments, the technology, which is already widely adopted in China, can be used for security access and electronic know your customer (e-KYC) processes.

Tencent is also deepening its involvement in Malaysia’s broader digital economy, in areas such as cross-border growth through tourism, gaming & esports, and education. Following the 2024 integration of Weixin Pay with PayNet, visitors from China are now able to make transactions in Malaysia via Malaysia’s DuitNow QR payment regime, lending significant support to small businesses and the broader economy. As a result, transactions via PayNet surged 3x year-over-year during China’s famous Golden Week in early October.

As Tencent accelerates its international expansion, Malaysia, with its vibrant ecosystem, digital-ready talent, and forward-looking digital policies, is poised to serve as a key hub powering innovation, connectivity, and digital experiences across the globe.