KUALA LUMPUR: The government has approved 21 data centre projects under the Digital Ecosystem Acceleration Scheme with a total investment of RM113.8 billion since 2021.
The Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) stated that the investments are expected to create 1,244 new job opportunities.
"Foreign investment is the main contributor to data centre investment, accounting for 90 percent of the total investment or RM102.3 billion, while the remaining 10 percent, or RM11.5 billion, comes from domestic investment. Data centre projects typically take between 12 to 24 months to complete, depending on the complexity, project scale, and current economic conditions," said the ministry in a written response on the Dewan Negara website today.
The ministry was responding to a question from Senator Robert Lau Hui Yew regarding job opportunities expected to be created through foreign investment in the data centre sector.
According to MITI, the government has established the Data Centre Task Force (DCTF), co-chaired by the Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, and the Minister of Digital, to strengthen the development and regulation of the data center industry and its ecosystem.
"The DCTF will launch policy decisions related to the development of the data centre industry, enhance coordination, and develop strategies for the growth of the data center and its ecosystem. It will also refine strategic issues and the economic spillover effects of data centre investments and its ecosystem, including job opportunities and the specific talents required," MITI said. - Bernama
