Market profile
Malaysia
Malaysia, led by Johor, has become one of Asia's fastest-growing data centre markets. The Johor state government reported 65 projects in May 2026, 20 operating with about 920 MW of actual electricity use, and 5,628 MW of approved capacity across 28 projects. The federal Data Centre Task Force approved 27 projects worth RM225.97 billion up to July 2026, and MIDA issued a sustainable data centre guideline in 2024.
Overview
Johor (bordering Singapore) and Greater Kuala Lumpur/Selangor host most projects. Johor is introducing Johor Special Water for industrial water supply and promoting corporate renewable supply through CRESS.
Why it matters for cooling and power
Power and water availability in Johor and the state's new sustainability approach will determine how much of the approved pipeline is built.
Key metros and clusters
- Johor: Johor state, mainly Johor Bahru, Iskandar Puteri, Kulai and Sedenak.
- Greater Kuala Lumpur and Selangor: Kuala Lumpur, Cyberjaya and Selangor.
Grid context
TNB is the grid operator. Johor reports actual use of operating sites well below approved capacity, showing a large gap between approvals and delivery.
Water, heat reuse, efficiency and planning
Johor Special Water and recycled water options are being introduced for data centres. MIDA guideline sets sustainability expectations for incentives.
Latest changes
- Market 14 Oct 2026 Malaysia's task force has approved 27 data centre projects worth RM226bn: The Digital Ministry said 27 projects worth RM225.97 billion were approved under the Data Centre Task Force to July 2026, mostly in Johor and Selangor, with a 30% local content requirement. Johor separately reports 5,628 MW of approved capacity against about 920 MW actually drawn by operating sites. Related: Malaysia MIDA Guideline for Sustainable Development of Data Centre (DESAC incentive conditions). thestar.com.my (opens in a new tab)mediadigitaljohor.gov.my (opens in a new tab)
- Project 20 Aug 2026 Google Elmina data centre (Selangor)Operations expected within about nine months Related: Google Elmina data centre (Selangor). mediaselangor.com (opens in a new tab)
- Project 12 Feb 2025 AirTrunk JHB2 (Iskandar Puteri, Johor)Announced by AirTrunk Related: AirTrunk JHB2 (Iskandar Puteri, Johor). airtrunk.com (opens in a new tab)
Tracked projects
| Project | Level | Stage | Operator or developer | Latest change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AirTrunk JHB1 (Johor Bahru) | campus | Operating | AirTrunk | not disclosed |
| AirTrunk JHB2 (Iskandar Puteri, Johor) | campus | Announced | AirTrunk | 12 Feb 2025: Announced by AirTrunk |
| Google Elmina data centre (Selangor) | building | Under construction | 20 Aug 2026: Operations expected within about nine months |
Capacity in tracked public coverage
Tracked public coverage, not a national total. Sums of reported, project-level figures from 2 of the 3 published project records we track for Malaysia. Each metric and each delivery class is summed on its own and never added to another. Confirmed operating capacity never includes design or ultimate capacity. Delayed projects are never counted as under construction now. Campus and phase figures are not double counted. Ranges and upper bounds are not summed. Unknown values are not counted as zero.
| Metric | Delivery class | Sum of tracked records | Contributing records |
|---|---|---|---|
| IT power | Announced or design capacity (not delivered) Ultimate, design or announced capacity. Not delivered capacity. Never added to confirmed figures. | at least 420 MW Includes a lower-bound figure, so the sum is a minimum. |
|
Figures not counted (3) and why
- AirTrunk JHB1 (Johor Bahru)
- Floor or land area 21,900 sq m: Area figures describe different things (site, floor or data hall area). Shown per record, never summed.
- AirTrunk JHB2 (Iskandar Puteri, Johor)
- Investment at least MYR 9.7 billion: Scope is company, not one physical project. Not attributable to this asset.
- Google Elmina data centre (Selangor)
- Investment USD 2 billion: Scope is company, not one physical project. Not attributable to this asset.
Method: capacity rules. Company-wide investment, area figures and third-party market estimates are never included in these sums.
Cloud regions in Malaysia
A cloud region is a provider's service area. It is not a data centre campus and has no MW figure here.
- AWS Asia Pacific (Malaysia) ap-southeast-5, available
- Google Cloud Malaysia (announced) , announced
- Microsoft Azure Malaysia West malaysiawest, available
- Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Malaysia West 2 (Kulai) ap-kulai-2, available
Policy timeline
- Malaysia MIDA Guideline for Sustainable Development of Data Centre (DESAC incentive conditions) In effect
Upcoming dates
- 31 Dec 2027: Applications received by MIDA under DESAC until this date are subject to the guideline (Malaysia MIDA Guideline for Sustainable Development of Data Centre (DESAC incentive conditions))
Operators and developers
- AirTrunk Colocation owner, Colocation operator, Developer
- Amazon Web Services (AWS) Hyperscaler, Occupier
- Digital Realty Colocation owner, Colocation operator
- Equinix Colocation owner, Colocation operator
- Google Hyperscaler, Developer, Occupier
- Microsoft Hyperscaler, Developer, Occupier
- Oracle Hyperscaler, Occupier
- Vantage Data Centers Colocation owner, Colocation operator, Developer
Relevant technologies
Suppliers with evidence in Malaysia
Listed because a public source shows activity, an office or delivery in Malaysia. Not an endorsement or proof of any project contract.
Sources (3), last checked 18 Oct 2026
- Johor introduces sustainable approach to manage data centre development (opens in a new tab), Media Digital Johor (Johor state government), published 6 May 2026, accessed 18 Oct 2026
- Task force approved 27 data centre projects with estimated investments of RM225.97bil (opens in a new tab), The Star (Bernama), published 14 Oct 2026, accessed 18 Oct 2026
- Guideline for Sustainable Development of Data Centre (opens in a new tab), MIDA, published 2024-12, accessed 18 Oct 2026
Last checked 18 Oct 2026 by CoolPower Index research (automated, sourced). Report a correction.