Doing business in Malaysia has always been an irony in all sense of the word.
And now, it’s especially so if you are involved in the data centre sector, which by the way is one of the highest prioritised ICT sector that the government has earmarked for development.
This is obvious from a specially set aside Entry Point Project 3 (EPP3), which aims to develop the country’s local data centre industry, and transform Malaysia into a preferred hub for data centre set up and co-location in the region.
But, here is the irony.
As much as the government – via MDeC, Outsourcing Malaysia and the Malaysian Data Centre Alliance (MDCA) – purports to be advocating the cause of the local data centre boys, the fact remains that preference is being shown to foreign data centre brands.
Starry eyed from the promise of huge FDI in-flow and credentials that come along with these international brands, the government becomes biased in their supposedly ‘fair treatment’ of all data centre players.
These foreign brands enjoy special land acquisition privileges, specially customised power tariff rates, special tax incentives, special talent acquisition programs – basically everything that the local data centre boys fight tooth and nail for, because these are what they need to take the local scene to the next level.
What gives?
Whilst all of these developments are happening, the straw on the camel’s back must surely be the news, sniffed out from a long-time DC observer, that the one ‘unofficial’ spokeperson for the industry; a local data centre player himself; who has tirelessly fought against the government’s two-face treatment – was unceremoniously booted out of the MDCA committee.
No doubt, here is a blatant case of politics that plagues the administration of our so-called local DC associations.
Who will fight the local data centre players’ cause now?
IT BYTES BACK! says: Even faced with having to compete for our government’s ‘affection’, why do the local players still indulge in same camp fighting? Is the government’s’ DC fund allocations blinding the fight for the right cause?
