Malaysian real estate firm Equalbase is planning to develop a data center campus in Johor.

Regional press including Business Today and the Star report local conglomerate Sunway Group has sold 64 acres of land to Equalbase Pte Ltd in Johor for a data center development.

The two parcels, located in Sunway City Iskandar Puteri (SCIP), were sold for RM380 million ($80.4m).

Further development details weren’t shared.

“This disposal reaffirms Sunway's strategic vision to create value and maximize the growth potential of SCIP in Iskandar Malaysia, Johor. SCIP is strategically located just five kilometers from the Second Link [a highway connecting Singapore to Malaysia], allowing it to leverage its close proximity to Singapore,” SCIP chief executive officer Gerard Soosay said.

Equalbase executive chairman Christian Bischoff said: “I am confident that we are building one of the most sustainable data centers today. We will integrate all critical elements within our group. Equalbase, together with other companies under its group, directly controls, designs, develops, invests, and manages essential areas, such as clean energy production, battery storage systems, and new, innovative water solutions.”

Founded in 1986, Sunway is a Malaysian conglomerate. Its main businesses are property development and construction, including hotels, shopping malls, education facilities, and theme parks. Its SCIP development spans 2,000 acres to the south of Johor on the banks of the Johor Strait.

EqualBase is an industrial real estate firm founded in 2002. It has developed a number of logistics and warehouse facilities across Malaysia, Singapore, and South Korea. It has previously partnered with Stonepeak. This is seemingly the company's first data center project.

The companies have previously partnered on Equalbase Sunway 103°, a joint venture to develop a logistics hub in SCIP.

New data center guidelines in Johor

Located in Malaysia’s south, Johor is just across the border from Singapore. Though Singapore is starting to ease restrictions around its ongoing moratorium on new data center developments, Johor has grown a sizeable data center market of its own as developments overspill from the city-state. Other developers and operators in Johor include PDG, AirTrunk, Equinix, Keppel, ChinData's Bridge DC, and Yondr.

The area has more than a 1GW of capacity in operation with another 1GW in development, plus a number of projects in the planning stages.

Bernama and Straits Times reports the Johor Town and Country Planning Department (PlanMalaysia) and the state government are drafting the Johor Data Centre Development Planning Guidelines.

The guidelines aim to coordinate and monitor data center development planning in the area and provide a uniform guide and reference for local authorities and agencies.

A Johor State Data Centre Development Coordination Committee (JPPDNJ) has also been set up and met recently.

Systech & EISSB partner for data center project

Malaysian information technology (IT) services firm Systec is partnering with a local server firm on a data center project.

Systech Bhd. this week announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, SysAIU Sdn. Bhd, has entered into a collaboration agreement with EH Integrated Systems Sdn. Bhd (EISSB) for the establishment, development and operation of data centers.

EISSB is a server firm and Supermicro distributor. This project will provide GPUs, servers, storage systems, networking equipment, cooling systems, and power supply units. Founded last year, SysAIU is Systech’s software unit. It will develop software for the project with EISSB. The agreement is set to last two years.

Further details of the project weren’t shared.