Bridge Data Centres set to power Malaysia’s digital economy future

 The hyperscale data centre provider says responsible infrastructure, sustainable technology and local skills are key to supporting the country’s growth.

Bridge Data Centres aims to build local expertise, empower Malaysia’s workforce with advanced infrastructure skills, and reinforce the nation’s position in the global technology economy.

PETALING JAYA:

A QR payment over breakfast, a video streamed on the train, an online purchase or a question posed to an artificial intelligence chatbot may appear to happen almost instantly.

But behind each of these everyday interactions is something decidedly physical: rows upon rows of servers housed inside data centres—processing, storing and moving enormous amounts of information around the clock.

As Malaysians become increasingly reliant on digital services, these largely unseen facilities have become part of the infrastructure supporting everything from businesses and public services to healthcare records, online education and AI.

For Bridge Data Centres (BDC), which has been operating in Malaysia since 2018, growing digital demand has translated into an expanding footprint across Cyberjaya, Johor and Kuala Lumpur.

Yet building a data centre is not simply a matter of filling a large building with computers.

The servers require reliable electricity, advanced servers, extensive security systems and cooling systems capable of operating around the clock.

For BDC Malaysia CEO Benjamin Ong, how that infrastructure is developed is as important as its scale.

“Our long-term commitment to Malaysia is reflected not only in the scale of infrastructure we are building, but also in how it is built,” he said.

Ong said this meant incorporating green technology and sustainability from the outset while ensuring that the industry creates lasting opportunities for Malaysian businesses, workers and communities.

Local jobs, local suppliers

BDC said Malaysian companies accounted for almost half of the firms in its supply chain in 2025, covering engineering, construction, facilities management, technology and sustainability services.

In addition, the hyperscale data centre provider, also employs more than 750 Malaysians.

Among them is Amirul Zaidi Nazri, who joined BDC as a lead mechanical engineer in 2023 and later campus manager of its MY07 facility in Johor.

Amirul leads a critical operations team of more than 120 people. He says that the company’s expansion will open doors to many more Malaysian talents like him.

“I believe there are many opportunities to grow my career at BDC and scale up my capabilities and competencies,” he said.

With new projects coming onstream, BDC plans to double its local workforce with the aim of strengthening Malaysia’s digital expertise and talent base.

It said some of the skilled positions being created would offer starting salaries exceeding RM5,000.

Reducing reliance on potable water

BDC has, in partnership with Suntar Malaysia, developed technologies that transform effluent into high-grade water capable of providing cooling solutions for data centres.

But the rapid growth of data centres also brings a less visible challenge.

Thousands of servers generating heat around the clock need to be kept cool, making water management an increasingly important consideration as more facilities are built.

At its Johor operations, BDC has sought to reduce its dependence on potable water by using treated effluent for cooling.

The company, in collaboration with a Malaysian technology firm, developed the nation’s first water treatment plant within a data centre complex. The system processes effluent using membrane bioreactor and reverse osmosis technology before the water is used in the data centre’s cooling system.

Operating since 2025, the facility has reduced the campus’s reliance on Johor’s potable water supply.

At BDC’s Sedenak Tech Park campus, a rainwater harvesting system saves an estimated 1,340 cubic metres of water annually, while improvements to its cooling towers reduced water consumption by about 16,000 cubic metres in 2025.

The company has also piloted the use of hydrotreated vegetable oil, a renewable fuel derived from waste feedstocks, for backup generators at one of its Malaysian campuses.

Ong said Malaysia has the talent and capabilities to strengthen its position as a regional digital hub.

“BDC Malaysia is committed to supporting that journey by developing responsible digital infrastructure, spurring innovation in sustainable technologies and equipping Malaysians

According to BDC CEO Benjamin Ong, the water treatment plant at BDC’s campus in Ulu Tiram, Johor, is the country’s first sustainable large-scale facility built within a data centre complex with skills to thrive in the digital era.

For someone tapping a phone to pay for lunch or streaming a film at home, all of this remains largely out of sight.

The “cloud” may sound weightless, but keeping Malaysia’s digital life running ultimately comes down to something much more tangible: buildings, servers, engineers, electricity and water – resources BDC says it is working to use more sustainably as it expands. - FMT