A PROPOSED data centre in Section 9, Kota Damansara in Selangor, will not happen as the project consultant has withdrawn the application for planning permission.
Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) confirmed to StarMetro that it received the withdrawal notice on July 28.
“The consultant said the withdrawal was made to allow the developer to re-evaluate the feasibility of the site and its development components, so that they are more economical, sustainable and in harmony with the surrounding neighbourhood,” said MBPJ Corporate Communications Unit in a statement.
It included the withdrawal of an application for land alienation under Section 76 of the National Land Code 1965 (Act 56) and surrender of alienated land under Section 197 of the same Act.
“Both were submitted simultaneously with the planning permission application for the proposed data centre project,” the city council added.
The now-withdrawn planning permission application had been for a site in Section 9 – spanning 19 private lots and a portion of a government road reserve along Jalan Rimba Riang 9/6, Petaling Jaya.
The initial design called for two blocks of three-storey data centre facilities.
Responding to this latest turn of events, outgoing Petaling Jaya mayor Datuk Mohamad Zahri Samingon said there was no need to hold a briefing for those who submitted objections on the project now that the application has been withdrawn.
“The developer can still submit a fresh application in the future, as long as it complies with whatever is permitted under the local plan.
“However, (any future) planning permission application must still undergo due process and residents can submit their feedback or objections,” he told reporters after launching the upgrades done for Stadium MBPJ in SS7, Petaling Jaya, yesterday.
In a July 27 report, “Outcry over PJ data centre plan,” StarMetro quoted residents near the site who said the project notice board had inaccurate reference numbers and contact details, alongside a tight one-week objection window.
In response, MBPJ issued a formal directive on July 15 ordering the developer to rectify the errors, effectively extending the feedback period to July 27.
The site is zoned for “business and services” and “transport” under the Petaling Jaya Local Plan 2 (RTPJ2).
PLANMalaysia’s 2024 guidelines require a 50m buffer zone from residential boundaries.
Gabungan Penduduk Kota Damansara, a coalition representing over 500 households in Section 9, Kota Damansara, had formally objected to the development.
Residents raised concerns over noise pollution, 24-hour operations of the data centre, environmental heat, high energy consumption near the Kota Damansara community forest, traffic hazards and potential alienation of government road reserve.
They urged authorities to retain the original plan for shops at the site rather than a data centre.
Sungai Buloh MP Datuk Seri R. Ramanan, Kota Damansara assemblyman Muhammad Izuan Ahmad Kasim and MBPJ Zone 3 councillor Muhamad Shazwan Suhaimi also submitted formal objections.
When contacted, coalition spokesperson Narindera Pall Singh urged MBPJ to proceed with the earlier RTPJ2 proposal to build shops, stating it offered greater benefits to the community.
He also criticised the current public notification system as inadequate.
“It was particularly concerning that all the representatives publicly stated that they had not been informed of the proposed project,” he pointed out.
He noted that if ordinary residents had to build a network to share information, it raised serious questions about where official communication had failed.
Consequently, he urged Selangor government and MBPJ to review and strengthen public notification procedures to ensure meaningful participation in future planning.
