United Overseas Bank (M) Bhd chief executive officer Ng Wei Wei.
PETALING JAYA: United Overseas Bank (M) Bhd (UOB) has announced its role as joint coordinator, mandated lead arranger, underwriter, and bookrunner in one of South-East Asia’s largest data centre financing deals.
The landmark deal, which involves a dual currency loan of RM15bil, is also the largest syndicated green Islamic facility in Malaysia.
DayOne Data Centres Singapore Pte Ltd announced yesterday it had closed a landmark RM15bil equivalent multi-currency financing arrangement comprising a RM7.5bil Murabahah Term Financing facility and a US$1.7bil offshore term loan facility.
OCBC Bank (M) Bhd and its parent, Singapore-based Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp Ltd, is joint coordinator, mandated lead arranger, bookrunner, and green financing coordinator (MLAB), with OCBC Bank also serving as joint syariah adviser.
The deal supports DayOne’s data centre development in the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ).
UOB arranged the financing in syndication, together with other banks.
The financing involved CIMB Investment Bank Bhd, the Singapore arm of CIMB Bank Bhd, Credit Agricole CIB, DBS Bank Ltd, Maybank Investment Bank Bhd, Standard Chartered Bank (Singapore), United Overseas Bank Ltd, and UOB (M) Bhd as MLABs.
UOB Malaysia chief executive officer Ng Wei Wei said the landmark transaction reflects the bank’s commitment to supporting infrastructure projects that advance sustainable digital transformation across Asean.
“By jointly financing DayOne’s data centre in the JS-SEZ, we are not only supporting Malaysia’s digital economy but also strengthening the connectivity backbone that enables businesses from both sides of the Causeway to thrive in the digital age.
“We remain committed to the continuous support and development of the JS-SEZ as a strategic economic corridor that enhances regional connectivity and drives sustainable growth,” she said.
Headquartered in Singapore, DayOne is a global leader in digital infrastructure, with a growing footprint across tier-one and emerging markets, including Singapore, Johor, Batam in Indonesia, Greater Bangkok, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and beyond.
The financing facility enables DayOne to refinance existing loans while funding new data centre developments, creating a stable foundation for long-term growth and optimal capital allocation across their expanding regional portfolio.
Malayan Banking Bhd
(Maybank) meanwhile said it is underwriting RM2.5bil to support DayOne Data Centres.
The amount is one-third of the largest syndicated Islamic financing for data centres in the Asia Pacific.
Maybank president and group chief executive officer Datuk Khairussaleh Ramli said the transaction represents Maybank’s largest Islamic financing commitment to the data centre sector.
Meanwhile, OCBC Bank said the dual-tranche financing – structured under the Green Loan Principles – will partially fund the refinancing and capital expenditure of DayOne’s data centres in Johor.
The data centres in Johor already meet or are expected to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold or higher certification by the US Green Building Council, setting a new benchmark for sustainable digital infrastructure.
OCBC Bank chief executive officer Tan Chor Sen said that, as one of the largest integrated financial services groups in the region, OCBC’s regional strength enables it to support both the onshore and offshore tranches of this landmark syndication.
“As a key MLAB, we supported DayOne with one of the highest underwriting commitments, reflecting our commitment to fostering a sustainable future that aligns with our leadership in responsible finance,” Tan said
