Malaysia launches green lane pathway to propel digital, manufacturing powerhouse ambitions
09 Aug 2023
The Green Lane Pathway marks a significant milestone in Malaysia’s journey towards becoming both a digital and manufacturing powerhouse in the region, said Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
He said Malaysia is an ideal hub for data centre operations in the region due to several reasons.
“Firstly, our strategic geographical location serves as a competitive advantage for the Southeast Asian region.
“Secondly, various global data centre companies appreciate our conducive and attractive investment landscape, thanks to our robust connectivity, reliable power infrastructure and a business-friendly environment.
“To date, Malaysia has welcomed notable players in the data centre and cloud sector. We have Amazon Web Services, which is committed to investing in Malaysia to build data centres.
“We also have ByteDance System Sdn Bhd, the owner of TikTok, which is committed to contributing to the growth of Malaysia’s digital economy through long-term investments that provide online experiences to its one billion users worldwide,” said Tengku Zafrul.
He was speaking at the launch of TNB Green Lane supply and strategic offerings for data centres at TNB Platinum in Bangsar today in which Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) is offering a fast-track power supply process and offer beyond kWH (kilowatt-hour) solutions to data centre investors.
Tengku Zafrul said that more importantly, digital infrastructure investments by these companies also empower local businesses and enterprises to create more value and growth opportunities using data and cloud-based technologies.
“By attracting foreign investors to create this market-ready digital environment, all industries and local small and medium enterprise are encouraged to expand their operations digitally or pursue other digital-based innovations,” he added.
TNB said In a statement that the establishment of the Green Lane Pathway is an exclusive pathway and strategic offering to provide efficient and environmentally responsible solutions for data centre operators.
“It’s to streamline the onboarding process for data centres, expedite approvals and facilitate a smooth setup of data centre operations in Malaysia.
“The Green Lane Pathway features fast-track supply offerings for electricity, where data centres will be connected three times faster than the normal delivery time, reducing the implementation period from 36-48 months to just 12 months, alongside a one stop centre (OSC) for data centre investors and dedicated support services,” it said.
TNB said this process is expected to attract more data centre companies to establish their operations in Malaysia, and also offers round-the-clock maintenance assistance and tailored solutions to meet the requirements of each data centre.
At the same event, five strategic partnerships were sealed through four electricity supply agreements with Yellowwood Properties Sdn Bhd, AirTrunk Malaysia Sdn Bhd, SIPP Power Sdn Bhd and GDS IDC Malaysia Sdn Bhd, and a memorandum of understanding with MRANTI Corporation Sdn Bhd.
Source: Bernama
