Energy & Technology

HONG KONG: Malaysia’s digital landscape is witnessing a surge in demand for data centres across diverse industries. Responding to this trend, Equinix, Inc., the global leader in digital infrastructure, announced today an investment of RM23 million (approximately US$5 million) to acquire land from Cyberview Sdn Bhd (Cyberview) in Cyberjaya. This investment aims to expand Equinix’s data center capacity in Malaysia, following the successful launches of its International Business ExchangeTM (IBX®) facilities in Kuala Lumpur (KL1) and Johor (JH1). The additional land acquisition in Cyberjaya, Malaysia’s Global Tech Hub, situated less than one kilometre from the existing KL1 facility, spans 14,300 square meters. This strategic move will bolster Equinix’s ecosystem in Malaysia, facilitating enhanced services for network and cloud providers, as well as enterprises across various sectors. Malaysia’s strategic location, supportive government policies, and increasing digital infrastructure demands are driving its emergence as a pivotal player in Southeast Asia’s digital transformation. The country aims to evolve into a digitally driven, high-income economy, leveraging factors like geopolitical stability, a skilled workforce, enhanced connectivity, and a focus on renewable energy. Chief Minister of Selangor, Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari emphasised the significance of data centres in accelerating Selangor’s digital economy, praising Equinix’s expertise in building resilient digital infrastructure. He highlighted the company’s role in promoting cloud technology adoption among Malaysian enterprises. Meanwhile Equinix Malaysia Managing Director, Cheam Tat Inn underscored Malaysia’s robust digital engagement, with 96.8% of the population actively participating in digital activities. This consumer demand is driving businesses to seek secure and scalable data centre solutions, where Equinix’s global expertise and strategic advantages make it a preferred partner. Additionally, Cyberview CEO, Kamarul Ariffin Abdul Samad highlighted Cyberjaya’s pivotal role in Malaysia’s digital economy, noting its concentration of tech companies and recent surge in data centre investments. He affirmed Cyberview’s commitment to fostering innovation and positioning Cyberjaya as a prime destination for tech investments. Equinix currently operates two data centres in Malaysia: JH1 in Johor offering 500 cabinets and 1,960 square meters of colocation space, and KL1 in Kuala Lumpur set to provide 900 cabinets and 2,630 square meters upon completion. These facilities have already attracted a diverse array of companies, including network providers, content creators, fintech firms, and AI developers. With 56 data centres across key Asia-Pacific markets and a global network spanning 260 centres in 71 metropolitan areas, Equinix continues to support over 10,000 leading businesses worldwide, reinforcing its position as a cornerstone of digital infrastructure globally.

KUALA LUMPUR: With data volumes surging, organisations must prioritise the resiliency of their data infrastructure. According to Hitachi Vantara Chief Technology Officer for APAC, Matthew Hardman, the evolving digital environment demands robust measures to protect critical information, necessitating a proactive data management and security approach. “Many organisations are not fully prepared for the risks posed by cyberattacks and outages. The key to prevention and business continuity lies in having a well-defined data resiliency strategy in place,” he said, following the major information technology (IT) outage on July 19, which affected a large number of businesses and governments worldwide, as it involved 8.5 million devices throughout the globe. “We saw disrupted services and operations across multiple industries, but those hit hardest would have been the businesses that are heavily reliant on uninterrupted computer functionality,” he opined, adding that the businesses in question include banking, healthcare, airlines, emergency services and retail. Hardman provided an example of financial services and online banking services that were taken offline, which would cause delays in patient care in settings where patient records were not accessible – not to mention the flight delays and cancellations worldwide. Explained further, Hardman said the interconnectedness of these industries meant that the outage had a domino effect, whereby one firm going offline meant that other organisations reliant on them also had to stop operations. “Suffice to say, the impact was already significant and we may only be seeing the tip of the iceberg of what the real overall impact of the outage has been (or could be). “Ultimately, the incident underscores just how reliant the world is on interconnected technologies and the need for more robust cyber resilience strategies,” he added. Preventing future incidents Hardman said data resiliency is an organisation’s ability to recover from data breaches and other losses, enact business continuity plans quickly, and implement stronger data protection measures moving forward. “It is critical to prioritise data resiliency by implementing best practices in this area,” he said. Businesses can fortify their defenses and warrant service steadiness through several key strategies and should take stock of their current level of cyber resilience, data protection, and overall operational resilience. This, he said, might involve working with internal experts or a trusted partner to assess their on-premises, hybrid cloud, or fully cloud-based environments. Other than the said strategies, he said that having a backup and recovery plan with security measures in place is ‘a good start’, but it is not enough for data resiliency. “A truly resilient infrastructure requires data immutability, consistent deployment processes, and the ability to withstand unexpected system failures,” he said. Organisations need a data resiliency plan encompassing their entire environment both on-premises and in the cloud. Collaboration across the organisation is essential, including addressing shadow IT (unauthorised use of IT applications and devices). “While there is a lot to consider, a trusted data infrastructure expert can support businesses in implementing strategic solutions to improve current data resiliency posture at any stage. Regularly refreshing and rehearsing IT outage response plans are crucial in the digital age,” he said. “Hence, partnering with such an expert allows businesses to identify vulnerabilities and determine the necessary steps to ensure proper data protection, compliance and cyber resilience,” Hardman concluded. Cybersecurity Should Not Be Underestimated Meanwhile, BMI Senior Power and Renewables Analyst, David Thoo said that the power sector should not be undermined when it comes to cybersecurity, given the implications. Whether in renewables or traditional energy, Thoo emphasised that the power sector would always be a target of cyberattacks and as the adoption of renewable energy increases, this could mean that more plants and systems are being targeted. “The main targets of cyberattacks are critical infrastructure including utility networks and power plants. If these attacks can bring networks or power plants offline by infiltrating controls, it will result in major blackouts,” Thoo said. The world is rapidly ramping up its renewable energy capacity in line with ambitious climate pledges. The accelerated transition to green energy comes with new challenges, including concerns about the increasing use of electricity use from renewable sources, which could create new opportunities for cyberattacks. The Malaysian government, through the Malaysia Cyber Security Strategy 2020-2024, has identified 11 Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) sectors – including the energy sector – that must be protected and preserved to ensure the security of the nation, its economy and the public’s health and safety.

KUALA LUMPUR: Amazon Web Services (AWS), an Amazon.com Inc company, recently launched the AWS Asia Pacific (Malaysia) Region with plans to invest about US$6.2 billion (about RM29.2 billion) in Malaysia through 2038. In a statement issued in Seattle, it was said that starting 22 August, developers, startups, entrepreneurs and enterprises as well as government, education and non-profit organisations will have greater choices for funning their applications and serving end users from AWS data centres located in Malaysia. “The construction and operation of the new AWS Region is estimated to add approximately US$12.1 billion (RM57.3 million) to Malaysia’s gross domestic product (GDP) and will support an average of more than 3,00 full-time equivalent jobs at external businesses annually through 2038. “These jobs, including construction, facility maintenance, engineering, telecommunications and others within the country’s broader economy, will be part of the AWS supply chain in Malaysia,” it said. With the launch of the AWS APAC (Malaysia) Region, AWS has 108 availability zones across 34 geographic regions, with announced plans to launch 18 more availability zones and 6 more AWS Regions in Mexico, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand and the AWS European Sovereign Cloud. It said the AWS APAC (Malaysia) Region consists of 3 availability zones located far enough from each other to support customers’ business continuity but near enough to provide low latency for high availability applications that use multiple availability zones. “Each availability zone has independent power, cooling and physical security and is connected through redundant, ultra-low-latency networks,” it said. AWS customers focused on high availability can design their applications to run in multiple availability zones to achieve even greater fault tolerance. “With the launch, AWS is proud to support Malaysia’s digital transformation and help accelerate its role as a regional hub for artificial intelligence (AI),” said AWS Vice-President of Infrastructure Services, Prasad Kalyanaraman. Meanwhile, Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Daruk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz said the launch of an AWS infrastructure region in Malaysia provides access to new and emerging technology for Malaysian entities and businesses of all sizes, boosting our country’s capabilities for digital innovation. He said this milestone is a significant step towards fulfilling the vision of Malaysia’s New Industrial Master Plan (NIMP) 2030 to build a highly skilled, innovative, prosperous, inclusive and sustainable economy. “We recognise the transformative power of digitalisation, cloud computing and AI as key drivers in Malaysia’s effort to become a manufacturing and services hub within Asia. “As the largest investment made by an international technology company in Malaysia, the AWS infrastructure region will help ensure Malaysia remains competitive on the global stage,” the minister said. AWS offers the broadest and deepest portfolio of services, including analytics, computing, database, Internet of Things, generative AI, machine learning, mobile services, storage and other cloud technologies. Customers from startups and enterprises to public sector organisations and non-profits would be able to use advanced technologies from the world’s leading cloud provider to drive innovation, meet data residency preferences, achieve lower latency and serve the demand for cloud services in Malaysia and across APAC. — BERNAMA

KUALA LUMPUR: ASEAN is witnessing a pick-up in electric car (EV) sales in Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam whereas Thailand is a mixed bag, said Maybank Investment Bank Bhd. The investment bank said that favourable regulations, local brands and penetration of Chinese carmakers will drive sales higher. “We prefer ASEAN companies that partner Chinese car makers for manufacturing and sales and battery value chain companies,” it said. Maybank Investment said that EV sales in ASEAN rose from a low base in the first half of 2024 (1H 2024) in most markets. “Malaysia Reported that EV car registrations rose 142% year-on-year (YoY) to 10,663 fully electric cars in 1H 2024. “Indonesia reported a 104% surge in sales to 11,943, Singapore a 218% YoY jump to 6,019 EVs, surpassing its 2023 numbers. Meanwhile, Thailand reported a strong start in January 2024,” it added. On a global basis, it said EV sales rose 24% to 6.7 million in 1H 2024 or 21% of total car sales. “Sales of full EVs slowed to +13.9% YoY whereas plug-in hybrids accelerated by +59% YoY. “Hybrid sales witnessed faster growth due to saturation and the end of EV subsidies in Europe, weaknesses in the US, lack of charging infrastructure and range anxiety. Recent tariff increases on China-made cars in the US and Europe will have a further impact,” it said. — BERNAMA

KUALA LUMPUR: Climate finance is crucial for meeting ambitious targets and fostering positive changes, thereby ensuring a more sustainable and equitable future. Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, who is also the Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation said that Malaysia welcomes international partnerships and investments supporting the country’s energy transition and broader climate objectives. “We are open to cooperating with various parties, including international financial institutions and private investors to mobilise the necessary resources for sustainable development projects,” he said. According to Fadillah, mobilising capital for a just transition offers a unique opportunity for long-term economic growth, enhanced social equity and increased investor confidence. “The scientific consensus is clear. We must act decisively and swiftly to mitigate these impacts. Central to this effort is the transition to sustainable energy systems,” said Fadillah. He also reiterated the government’s commitment to steering Malaysia towards a more sustainable future, including raising the renewable energy (RE) capacity target to 70% by 2050, up from the previous 40% target by 2035. Additionally, the government plans to introduce a ‘Corporate RE Supply Scheme’ in September, allowing corporate entities to directly source green electricity from third-party RE generators. Furthermore, the government is developing its second National Energy Efficiency Action Plan for 2026-2035 to enhance efforts in reducing national energy consumption. “By 2026, we aim for at least 50% of new bank financing to support climate or energy transition activities,” he said, referring to the integration of climate resilience into financial strategies outlined in the Malaysia Financial Sector Blueprint. — BERNAMA

KUALA LUMPUR: The rapid pace of digital transformation has made cybersecurity a critical priority across all sectors. Malaysia, in particular, is working towards overcoming the gaps within its existing infrastructure, after facing nearly half a million leaked accounts from data breaches in the third quarter of the last year. In line with this, the Cybersecurity Act 2024 – tabled for first reading in the Malaysian Parliament on 25 March 2024 – aims to provide a robust regulatory framework for safeguarding Malaysia’s cybersecurity landscape. Because of this, entities such as Bridgenet Solutions Sdn Bhd (Bridgenet) are stepping in to provide the support needed. In 2021, Bridgenet’s entry into a collaborative acquisition agreement with CelcomDigi marked their transition into the country’s largest ICT solutions and services provider, speeding up digital transformations and modernising customers’ ICT infrastructures by prioritising cybersecurity. This includes supporting governmental initiatives like the Cybersecurity Act 2024, which requires national critical information infrastructure (NCII) entities to adhere to specific measures, standards, and processes to manage cybersecurity threats and incidents. Key provisions include the establishment of the National Cyber Security Committee, the appointment of sector leads, and the licensing of cybersecurity service providers. To this end, Bridgenet is leading the way in this technological integration, as evidenced by the hosting of the recently convened inaugural Cybersecurity Act Symposium at Le Meridien, Kuala Lumpur. Bringing together industry leaders, government officials, and cybersecurity professionals from around the country, the symposium focused on exploring the implications and opportunities stemming from the tabling and passing of the Act earlier this year. “In recent years, we have witnessed a dramatic increase in cyber threats, from data breaches to ransomware attacks,” Bridgenet Solutions Group CEO, Keane Leong said in his welcome speech that highlighted the synergy between CelcomDigi’s robust telecom infrastructure and Bridgenet’s advanced cybersecurity expertise. “These incidents not only disrupt our operations, but also erode trust and confidence in our digital systems. As we embrace the digital economy, ensuring robust cybersecurity measures is no longer an option but a necessity,” he added. The symposium provided a platform for key industry stakeholders to delve into actionable insights and best practices in cybersecurity. Key highlights from the event included an in-depth analysis of the Cybersecurity Act and its impact on businesses and individuals, followed by a panel discussion where experts from various sectors discussed strategies for compliance and risk management. “The discussions at the symposium highlighted critical aspects of the Cybersecurity Act, offering participants invaluable insights into compliance and best practices in cybersecurity,” shared Alex Liew, Deputy Chairman of PIKOM, The National Tech Association of Malaysia, who served as the symposium’s moderator. Meanwhile, LGMS Bhd Founder and Executive Chairman, Fong Choong Fook added, “The symposium provided a comprehensive overview of the Cybersecurity Act and its implications. It was an excellent platform for knowledge sharing and networking among industry peers.” Workshops and interactive sessions also provided hands-on experience and practical knowledge on implementing cybersecurity measures for attendees. Additionally, the exhibition area showcased the latest technologies and services from leading cybersecurity solution providers, offering attendees a glimpse into the future of digital security. “This event showcased our commitment to leading the charge in cybersecurity. The insights shared have equipped us and our partners with the knowledge to better protect our infrastructure and data,” shared Bridgenet Solutions Chief Technology Officer, Loy Kuang Haow. The passing of the Cybersecurity Act 2024 represents a pivotal stride towards securing Malaysia’s digital landscape. By implementing robust cybersecurity measures and fostering collaboration, a secure and resilient digital future can be achieved.