Johor poised to become regional data centre hub, says MB

KULAI: Johor has attracted more than 50 data centres within the last two years, putting it on track to become a new data centre hub in South-East Asia, says Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi.

He said this was a very exciting time for Johor thanks to its strong push towards a digital economy, enabled by robust government policies, as well as good connectivity and infrastructure.

“Our vision is to develop Johor... and make it a global destination for the world’s largest technology companies.

“At Invest Johor, we are considering establishing the Johor Data Centre to streamline efforts in talent development, green technology and renewable energy,” he said at the launch of Princeton Digital Group's (PDG) phase one JH1 campus at Sedenak Tech Park (StEP) here on Wednesday (July 3).

Onn Hafiz, who is also the Machap assemblyman, said Singapore took over 15 years to establish itself as a data hub with more than 70 data centres, totalling a capacity of 1.4 gigawatts of power capacity.

Onn Hafiz said in comparison, Johor has attracted more than 50 data centres in just the past two years, with STeP 1 alone boasting a power capacity of over 1 gigawatt.

“Moving forward for data centres, the state government will be more selective, emphasising the use of green technology and renewable energy.

“Johor's rapid growth in the industry suggests that it is well on its way to becoming a new data centre hub in Asean,” he added.