A Malaysian timber firm has moved into the data center space and is planning a facility in Kulim in partnership with a local cloud company.
In a pair of announcements last week, Maxland announced it has formed a new data center unit and agreed to lease land in Kulim for a new facility.
Maxland Data was firmed in October. The newly formed unit has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Global Data Centre Sdn Bhd (GDC) to collaborate on projects around data centers and solar and power plants in Malaysia.
“The MoU provided the opportunity for Maxland Group to enter into the business of data centrer services provider through a partnership with GDC,” Maxland said. “Through the partnership, GDC will be the technical provider and sourcing off-taker.”
Dato’ Stanley Ling Tiung Leng and Wong Hsiang Hui are listed as the directors and shareholders of Global Data Centre.
Leng is the founder of Global Telecom Group, a technology company that owns local cloud provider Alto Cloud. Alto launched in a cloud region in Cyberjaya in June in partnership with Tencent, within AIMS’ Magic Box data centers. Global said it is planning data centers in Cyberjaya (7.7MW), Johor (21MW), and Kuching (26MW). China Telecom is also listed a partner.
Maxland also announced it was leasing land in Kulim. The company entered into a lease agreement with Kulim Technology Park Corporation for the 60-year lease of 4.6 acres of land in the Kulim Hi-Tech Park. The company aims to develop a data center on the land. GDC will be involved in the project.
“Given the rapidly growing demand for data centers in the region and the strategic advantages Malaysia offers, Maxland Data sees a prime opportunity to establish a data center,” Maxland said. “The company aims to leverage the current market conditions, positioning itself to benefit from the surge in digital transformation while meeting the increasing regional demand for cloud services and data storage.”
Established in 1996, the Kulim High-Tech Park totals more than 2,300 acres in Kulim, Kedah, on the border with Penang. Maxland said the site has “competitive land prices and robust infrastructure,” including reliable power availability, water, and fiber connectivity.
“The northern region would be where data center investors look to when Selangor and Johor data centers development reach a concentration,” Maxland said.
Founded in 1992 and formerly known as Priceworth International Bhd, Maxland offers timber products, logging and managing 27,900 hectares of timberland in Sabah in Borneo. The company also has an energy unit, known as Maxland Energy.
