Heaptalk, Jakarta — Google announced its plan to invest US$2 billion in Malaysia to establish its first data center and cloud region, aiming to address the growing demand for cloud services. These facilities will be located in Sime Darby Property’s Elmina Business Park, Greater Kuala Lumpur.
The investment also covers AI literacy programs for Malaysian students and educators. Further, this initiative is projected to support more than US$3.2 billion in economic impact and 26,500 jobs by 2030. According to Ruth Porat, CIO and CFO at Alphabet and Google, this initiative is the company’s largest investment in 13 years of operating in the country.
“This investment builds on our partnership with the Government of Malaysia to advance its Cloud First Policy, including best-in-class cybersecurity standards. With today’s announcement, Malaysia and Google are partnering to advance our shared work to create a supportive ecosystem for innovation and unlock the potential of digital transformation,” said Porat in her official statement (05/30).
Delivering AI benefits to users and customers
The data center is designed to power Google’s digital services, including Search, Maps, and Workspace. This facility will also play a vital role in enabling Google to deliver AI benefits to users and customers across the country. When operational, Malaysia will join the 11 countries where Google has built and now operates data centers serving users around the world.
Meanwhile, the Google Cloud region is expected to deliver high-performance and low-latency services to large enterprises, startups, and public-sector organizations. This infrastructure will be complemented by Google Cloud’s existing Dedicated Cloud Interconnect locations in Cyberjaya and Kuala Lumpur, which provide direct connections between an organization’s on-premises network and Google Cloud’s global network. The Malaysia cloud region will join 40 regions and 121 zones currently operating worldwide.
Responding to this initiative, YB Senator Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Aziz, Minister of Investment, Trade, and Industry (MITI) conveyed that Google’s US$2 billion investment in Malaysia will significantly advance the digital ambitions outlined in our New Industrial Master Plan 2030 (NIMP 2030). He is optimistic that the data center and cloud region in Greater Kuala Lumpur will empower the country’s manufacturing and service-based industries to leverage AI and other advanced technologies.
“We also value Google’s plan to help us develop a robust talent ecosystem by facilitating the growth of our people’s digital skills, businesses, and careers. As this attracts further investments, it will spur innovation and drive growth for organizations of all sizes. We are confident that Google’s partnership and continued investment will accelerate our nation’s digital transformation, contributing to the Madani vision toward a more prosperous, technologically-advanced Malaysia,” the Minister concluded.
