Fake News: Amazon to Launch in Malaysia on Amazon.my in 2017 is an April Fools' joke

Today news has started spreading that Amazon will be launched in Malaysia later this year. While many online shoppers in Malaysia are very excited about a new online avenue to spend their money shopping and welcome the competition to Lazada / Shopee / 11street etc, few actually realise that it is a fake news. Tracing the source of the news and actually reading the original article breaking the news, you will quickly realise that it is an April Fools’ joke published on 1 April 2017.

EXCLUSIVE - Amazon ready to launch in Malaysia, here are the first official images of their website

Amazon with affiliate partner iPrice premieres exclusive first screenshots of its homepage and product page

Test reviewers said Amazon.my was the best thing that happened to them since the invention of the smartphone

KUALA LUMPUR–Apr. 1, 2017-- Today, Amazon with exclusive affiliate partner iPrice Malaysia premieres the first screenshots of the all new and exciting online shopping platform: Amazon.my. Slated to be launched late 2017, millions of local and international products will be made available to Malaysians with same-day delivery service countrywide. Maintaining the ethos of Amazon, the new e-commerce platform in Malaysia will be guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking.

Partnering Amazon in this new endeavor is iPrice, a meta-search website in seven major countries in Southeast Asia as Amazon’s prime affiliate partner. With similar values and vision for ecommerce in Southeast Asia, iPrice’s partnership with Amazon will empower the Seattle based company with the needed marketing channels to aggressively market its products and services to the competitive ecommerce sector.

Further details of Amazon’s affiliate partnership with iPrice will be revealed at the annual AWS Summit on 18th of April 2017 at One World Hotel.

Amazon Malaysia – Homepage*

Empowering Local Businesses to Go Further

With Amazon.my, Malaysians will soon have the power to purchase millions of local and international products and have it delivered within the same day. Local businesses signing up with Amazon as a partner merchant can easily leverage Amazon’s platform and reach to a wider audience like never before.

Among the first special merchants is self-proclaimed Raja Bomoh Sedunia Nujum VIP premiering the popular device named Bomoh Search Engine, Full Set. The product set is made exclusively for Malaysians and includes a pair of fresh coconuts, a pair of the “All Seeing Stick”, a wooden basket and a magic carpet. Made in Malaysia, the Bomoh Search Engine is compatible to traditional Bomoh spells and Harry Potter spells.

Amazon Malaysia – Product Page*

The Bomoh Search Engine was reviewed by test audiences across Malaysia. Here is a live demonstration by an expert at his recent exercise by the East Coast: http://www.amazon.my/tutorials

Amazon has revealed exclusive screenshots ahead of its launch in other major countries in Southeast Asia. Visit the sites below to view the official press releases:

Amazon Singapore
Amazon Indonesia
Amazon Thailand
Amazon Philippines
Amazon Vietnam

*All product names, pictures, logos, and brands are property of their respective owners

iPrice Group’s Press Announcement Pertaining Amazon in Malaysia

iPrice Group: Many thanks for featuring us in your recent article. As you have anticipated, this was an April Fool’s attempt by us, imagining how it’ll be when Amazon enters Malaysia and the SEA region. All press who received the press announcement were informed that more info was included in our blog link. Throughout the press announcement, various hints were given (especially the statement below) stated that it was an April Fool’s stunt.

To clarify that our intent in this was not to deceive members of media but to share ideas we had since Amazon said they were entering the region soon. But with Amazon delaying their entry, we thought it would be interesting to share with consumers and media how they’ll look like on April Fool’s day; the only possible day to share such materials. We hope this was entertaining for your audiences.

2 posts were split to a new topic: Amazon Singapore Launch Date: 28 May 2017 to be Amazon’s first entry into South East Asia market