Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur on September 11, 2019. (Photo: CFP)
Malaysia unveiled the Data Center Planning Guidelines (GPP) to attract more technology giants to settle in and develop it into a data center in ASEAN countries within five years.
Nga Kor Ming, Minister of Housing and Local Government, told the media after the launch ceremony on Thursday that the GPP is designed to standardize and streamline the application process to support the ease of doing business initiative.
At the same time, it complements the overall data center industry ecosystem and serves as a reference for those involved in data center development.
"Overall, this GPP covers site planning guidelines and outlines the procedures for development plan applications, including planning permission and building plans, and applies to data center developments with a capacity exceeding one mega-volt ampere (MVA), whether in new areas or existing buildings," he added.
With the launch of the GPP, according to Mr. Nga, the Malaysian government intends to strengthen the development of digital infrastructure and support the data center development ecosystem through the construction of data centers in more strategic locations according to the designated land use zones.
"This is to ensure the distribution of resources for domestic needs is not affected," he highlighted.
The GPP covers planning controls by local authorities, where data centers will only be permitted in commercial and industrial land use zones. Also, buffer zones will be required for data centers located near residential areas to prevent noise disturbances to the local community.
Aligned with the country's strategy of offering a strong digital infrastructure to attract more foreign investors, Mr. Nga is optimistic about Malaysia's role as the data hub of Southeast Asia in the coming years.
"In the next four to five years, Malaysia is expected to become the largest data center hub in ASEAN, with an inventory of energy needs of around four gigawatts," he noted.
As of May 2024, 32 data centers are in operation, and 19 are under construction in the country. Most of the data centers are located in Cyberjaya, Kuala Lumpur, and Johor.
Reporter: Clonde Zhang
Editor: Steven Yuen, Monica Liu, James
