Google is set to invest US$15 billion (RM61.1 billion) in Malaysia over two years from 2027, with the massive investment expected to support digital infrastructure development, data centre expansion and the creation of thousands of local jobs.
The investment will also include initiatives to strengthen the country’s water and clean energy supplies, develop energy-efficient data centre campuses in industrial zones and equip about 800,000 Malaysians with new skills by 2031.
Google also plans to add more than one gigawatt (GW) of clean energy capacity to Malaysia’s national grid.
The announcement was made in the presence of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Wednesday, marking another major expansion of Google’s presence in Malaysia, where it first opened a local office in 2011.
The infrastructure expansion is intended to meet growing local demand by providing world-class computing capacity to support the development of next-generation digital applications and artificial intelligence (AI).
It will also strengthen the services provided by Google, including Search, Maps and Chrome, which are used by millions of individuals and organisations in Malaysia and across the Asia-Pacific region.
The investment will involve Google’s first data centre campus at Elmina Business Park in Selangor, which is already operational, as well as planned new campuses in Selangor and Negeri Sembilan.
Computing capacity in Selangor will also support Google’s upcoming Malaysia Cloud region, which will serve enterprise customers.
To extend the investment’s benefits to the domestic economy, Google is already working with more than 80 local supply chain entities to develop and operate its infrastructure.
These partners cover various industries, including construction, civil engineering, networking, power systems, cooling, logistics, legal services, catering and waste management.
The construction phase of the new campuses between 2027 and 2028 is expected to contribute an average of US$1.1 billion (RM4.48 billion) annually to Malaysia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
It is also projected to support more than 37,000 local jobs each year and generate average annual labour income of US$378 million (RM1.54 billion). About 6,000 of the estimated jobs will be in the construction sector.
Once the facilities become operational, they are expected to support more than 9,000 permanent local jobs annually, with average salaries projected to be 45 per cent higher than the national median.
The opportunities will include data centre technicians, mechanical and electrical engineers, logistics operations managers and physical security managers, as well as jobs created through local contractors and businesses.
Alphabet and Google president and chief investment officer Ruth Porat said the investment reflected the company’s commitment to expanding its presence responsibly while delivering long-term benefits to Malaysia’s economy and people.
She said the investment aligned with the country’s development priorities by providing essential computing capacity to support innovation nationwide, while increasing local energy and water resources alongside Google’s expanding operations.
Porat added that Google was proud to work with local suppliers to strengthen their expertise and equip workers, students and entrepreneurs with in-demand skills so Malaysians could benefit from new opportunities created by the expanded computing capacity.
Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo said Google’s comprehensive plan set a high benchmark for sustainable and high-impact digital infrastructure development in Malaysia.
He said the initiative was guided by the Malaysia MADANI framework and the Malaysia Digital Action Plan 2030.
