Malaysia – Data Centers – Garis Panduan Perancangan – OSC Online

TL:DR (Opinion piece) – Have a mission. Plan the Data Center. Find a site. Plan for the site. Speak to locals. Speak Bahasa Malayu? Pay for consultancy to navigate OSC 3.0 and a runner. Submit many, many, many, documents. Pay fees. Go back to Submit…, Wait…,Wait…, Did you get the KM C1? Did you follow IGL? Did you get the KM C2 rather? Then start again. Has a year passed since submitting IGL? Ah, technology has moved on. Submit amendments. Go back to Submit…

It is best to start this article with a meme reference: Let me know how that works out for you.

This article is a quick write up of a pending article we are working on to help you through the minefield of submitting plans for a Data Center in Malaysia. It will be far more helpful. This is just us venting a little as this is a complicated process.

In it’s simplest form you require the following steps (incomplete):

1. A strong organizational goal to create a Data Center in Malaysia based on popular media advice.
2. Funds, lots and lots of funds.
3. An official entity in Malaysia. (There be dragons here).
4. A detailed plan of the the Data Center and Purpose.
5. A VERY detailed risk register.
6. A strong local partner. MDS can help. 🙂
7. A suitable location. (There be dragons here).
8. A very thorough conversation with locals to understand any concerns.
9. Mitigation for concerns.
10. All buildings, structures, infrastructure, engineering, etc, etc, requires planning permission.
11. All planning permission is via OSC 3.0 Online created in 2007. Think of 2024 as the new 2007 where ColdFusion Markup Language is still a thing and only accessible inside Malaysia (IP Restricted).
12. In-depth understanding of business and government level Bahasa Malayu. All correspondence MUST be in Bahasa Malayu.
13. Correct access to OSC 3.0.
14. Degree level navigation to select Industrial Green Lane (IGL) if it is applicable.
15. Submission of all relevant documents.
16. Payments.
17. A few loops.
18. KM C1 – Success! (The claim is 29 days – experience shows 365 days).
19. KM C2 – Rejected (You do not want this outcome).
20. With a KM C1 you can now order equipment and break ground.
21. Congratulations.

Another meme is relevant here. – We know so much but we know so little.

A day is a long time in the AI Data Space. We have never seen technology move as fast as recently. You may have planned a full Super Micro H100 based Data Center because you knew but Intel Gaudi 3 or 4 is vastly superior 365 days later because you knew so little. Therefore your approved KM C1 is no longer valid. Ouch.

Do not be fooled by the English strapline. This 60 page document is in Bahasa only.

We have translated this document and removed the superfluous word art graphics. We have spent a long time on this. It was complex.

For example, here is the IGL flow chart.

Please keep in mind that this is simply planning permission. You still need building regs, infrastructure, water, drainage and most important, Power. And of course internet trunk access. And of course you need to acquire the site that is now far more valuable as you have a potential KM C1. Local communities also know about this now and if you data center is similar to others, ie Dark then there will be no new local jobs, just a new, no-go site, in their back yard. (There be dragons here).

The question is, can this be done? Yes, but you you need an excellent local partner to assist you. We are that partner. We can help.

Standby and follow us for the full GPP Pusat Data – KPKT English cleaned up document with explanations.

We will also add a OSC 3.0 write up at some point.