Restrict access to information and infrastructure by Pacific Light Data Communications Co. Ltd (PLDC), the Hong Kong-based owner of PLCN that withdrew its application for an FCC license.
Malaysia is not included in this list because they don't allow foreign cable-laying ships to operate in their waters. They only allow domestic ships for these jobs. As a consequence have Meta & Google decided to bypass Malaysia.
I wonder how the US would respond if China did the same between Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua. And my point isn't that a tit for tat is warranted in anyway, just that rabid anti China activists likely seen nothing wrong with the US government actively involved with private corporations installing communications infrastructure close to China.