Equinix Eyes Growth Opportunities Across Malaysia Amid Rising Data Centre Demand

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 27 (Bernama) -- Equinix Inc is actively exploring opportunities across Malaysia to determine how the company can effectively service and meet future customer demand, amid strong and growing interest in the country’s data centre market.

Equinix Malaysia managing director Cheam Tat Inn said Malaysia is an attractive investment location for data centres, especially Johor, because of its proximity to Singapore

“You have low-latency connectivity into a very developed digital ecosystem,” he told reporters after an exclusive media luncheon here today.

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Cheam said the company is open to various locations across the country, with connectivity being a key consideration.

“Once we have more details, we will share them publicly,” he said.

In November 2025, Equinix marked a major milestone with the topping out of its second data centre in Johor, JH2. 

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Currently under construction, JH2 is expected to go live in the third quarter of 2027, with an investment of about US$201 million.

“That proximity to Equinix’s existing data centres is also critical, in line with the company’s strategy of building a strong, interconnected digital ecosystem.

“We are creating a digital ecosystem with strong interconnection, and these will be key factors for us when we look at (potential) locations. We are open to all the possibilities and opportunities,” he said.  

He also said that power, resilience, sovereignty, and sustainability now determine competitiveness, not only in mature markets, but also for high-growth economies such as Malaysia.

“For companies navigating the volatile landscape we all find ourselves in, data centres, especially colocation data centres, are no longer just a provider of space; we are an essential enabler and a strategic partner that ensures the continuous flow of data and power that keeps the world functioning.

“As we head into 2026, leaders must keep infrastructure front-of-mind. The biggest challenges ahead won’t be purely in the cloud or the code; they sit in the physical foundations that keep digital systems operational and economies running,” he said. 

Cheam also shared the five trends shaping the year ahead. This includes the shift from low-density to artificial intelligence (AI)-ready infrastructure; always-on expectations drive resilience by design; data sovereignty is now an architectural requirement; AI and decision-making move closer to where data is created; and Malaysia’s leadership will be defined by sustainability. 

“Our data centres will provide the platform for sovereign data or sovereign AI deployment because data will reside in Malaysia in our data centres in Johor and Cyberjaya,” he said. 

-- BERNAMA