Google is investing USD15 billion (~RM60.9 billion), in Malaysia over the next two years. The massive investment package, dubbed Mantap Malaysia Bersama AI, covers everything from energy-efficient data centres and clean energy projects to water security and tech training for 800,000 Malaysians.
The global tech giant aims to provide top-tier computing power to help drive the country’s next wave of digital growth and support locally developed AI apps, according to The Edge Malaysia.
As part of the plan, brand new campuses will spring up in Selangor and Negeri Sembilan between 2027 and 2028, building on Google’s existing data centre at Elmina Business Park in Selangor. The expansion is set to support 37,000 jobs annually, including 6,000 during the build phase.
Once up and running, the facilities will sustain 9,000 ongoing roles for technicians, engineers, and security managers, with pay packets expected to sit 45% above the national median. Eighty local firms have already been brought on board to help construct and run the sites, with the build expected to add USD1.1 billion (~RM4.46 billion) a year to Malaysia’s economy.
On the human side of things, Google is launching four training initiatives running through to 2031 to bring 800,000 Malaysians up to speed on AI and digital tech. They’re teaming up with the Education Ministry, the Raspberry Pi Foundation, and the Penang Science Cluster to train teachers for 11 to 14-year-olds, while another scheme will help local small businesses use IT to scale up. Local council staff will get AI productivity training, and select polytechnics in Selangor and Negeri Sembilan will house specialised institutes to train future data centre workers.
Google is also tackling environmental sustainability alongside its tech footprint. The company is backing nature-based projects to clean up and protect the Buloh and Selangor rivers through artificial wetlands, bank bioengineering, and pollution tracking. Rainwater harvesting systems will also be installed at local schools to provide back-up water for up to 2,000 people during outages.
To power all this, Google plans to add one gigawatt of renewable energy to the national grid through Malaysia’s corporate green energy scheme. The new data centres themselves are designed to keep power draw to a minimum, targeting an efficiency rating of 1.12 to 1.14, which sits well below the broader tech industry average of 1.54.