Google invests US$2 billion in Malaysia to develop data centre and cloud region

Google has invested US$2 billion in Malaysia to accelerate digital transformation in the country. This includes the development of its first Google data centre and Google Cloud region to meet the growing demand for cloud services locally and around the world. 

The site of the Malaysia investments will be in Sime Darby Property's Elmina Business Park, in Greater Kuala Lumpur. 

The Google data centre will power Google's popular digital services, such as Search, Maps, and Workspace. It will also play an essential role in enabling Google to deliver the benefits of Al to users and customers across the country.

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When operational, Malaysia will join the 11 countries where Google has built and now operates data centres serving users around the world.

Meanwhile, the Google Cloud region will deliver high performance and low-latency services to large enterprises, startups, and public sector organisations. Google Cloud customers will benefit from key controls that allow them to maintain the highest security, data residency, and compliance standards, including specific data storage requirements.

The cloud region will be complemented by Google Cloud's existing Dedicated Cloud Interconnect locations in Cyberjaya and Kuala Lumpur, which provide direct connections between an organisation's on-premises network and Google Cloud's global network. 

The Malaysia cloud region will join 40 regions and 121 zones currently in operation around the world. 

"Google's first data centre and Google Cloud region is our largest planned investment so far in Malaysia – a place Google has been proud to call home for 13 years. This investment builds on our partnership with the government to advance its 'Cloud First Policy,' including best-in-class cybersecurity standards," said Ruth Porat, president and chief investment officer; chief financial officer of Alphabet and Google. 

"With today's announcement, Malaysia and Google are partnering to advance our shared work to create a supportive ecosystem for innovation and unlock the potential of digital transformation," added Porat. 

Malaysia minister of investment, trade and industry Zafrul Aziz added, "Google's US$2 billion investment in Malaysia will significantly advance the digital ambitions outlined in our 'New Industrial Master Plan 2030' (NIMP 2030). The Google data centre and Google Cloud region in Greater Kuala Lumpur, in particular, will empower our manufacturing and service-based industries to leverage AI and other advanced technologies to move up the global value chain."

"We also value Google’s plan to help us develop a robust talent ecosystem by facilitating the growth of our people’s digital skills, businesses, and careers. As this attracts further investments, it will spur innovation and drive growth for organizations of all sizes. We are confident that Google's partnership and continued investment will accelerate our nation’s digital transformation, contributing to the MADANI vision toward a more prosperous, technologically advanced Malaysia," said the minister. 

In tandem, Google will be investing programmes to foster AI literacy for both students and educators. These programmes expand Google's ongoing commitment towards making digital skills more accessible to Malaysians. 

The programmes include Gemini Academy and Experience AI. Gemini Academy is designed to help educators safely and responsibly use generative AI tools to boost productivity. The programme has a goal of benefiting 15,000 educators by the end of 2024. 

On the other hand, Experience AI is designed to increase educators' knowledge and confidence in delivering lessons about AI to students aged 11 to 14.

As part of the programme, educators will be providing students with in-person training and equipping them with interactive lesson materials and tutorials. The programme has an initial goal of training 1,000 educators in order to reach 10,000 students across Malaysia. 

This investment by Google follows a strategic partnership between the tech giant and the Malaysian government in November last year. 

The collaboration sought to help businesses advance their digital competitiveness through upskilling programmes, investments in digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence (AI) innovation, and cloud-first policies. 

In addition, the collaboration aimed to bring five digital learning paths to Malaysians through Google Cloud, CloudMile, and Trainocate, at no cost. This is to make training opportunities accessible to Malaysians across all backgrounds.

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