Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The AI boom means data centres are being built at an unprecedented pace around the world and in South East Asia, Malaysia has emerged as one of the biggest hubs for this expansion.
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But this rapid growth is also prompting a backlash. Data centres can consume enormous amounts of electricity and water, while critics question how many long-term jobs they actually create for local communities.
In Malaysia, residents are protesting against proposed developments, while governments are trying to balance economic growth with environmental and social concerns.
In this episode, host Mariko Oi speaks to freelance journalist Isaac Chong and AI strategist Bernard Leong about what data centres actually do, why AI is driving a global construction boom, and why Malaysia has become one of South East Asia’s largest data centre hubs.
00:00 Introduction
01:30 What exactly are data centres used for?
02:56 What do data centres look like from the outside?
03:31 How did Malaysia become South East Asia’s data centre hub?
04:07 Why did Singapore impose a moratorium on data centres?
05:48 What does “computing” actually mean?
06:49 How have data centres benefited Malaysia’s economy?
07:34 Why are Malaysians concerned about so many data centres being built?
09:02 Will the data centre boom create jobs in the region?
12:13 What environmental concerns are being raised by the data centre boom?
15:49 How are other South East Asian countries addressing these concerns and which countries have the strongest regulations?
17:29 Can Malaysia continue building data centres under stricter regulations?
18:01 What’s happening with data centres in China?
Watch more episodes of Asia Specific here 👉🏽 youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz_B0PFGIn4c3njIxB0KHuO8SS2mBMtUc
Instagram: @bbcworldservice
Email: asiaspecific@bbc.co.uk
Presenter: Mariko Oi
Producers: Derek Cai, Rachel Lee, Cordelia Lee
Camera: Muhammad Firdaus Bin Mohd Ansary, Fahmi Jamal, Khairul Danish Bin Mohd Roslee
Editor: Bill Birtles
----------------
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#BBCWorldService #WorldService #ai #data #malaysia #southeastasia
The AI boom means data centres are being built at an unprecedented pace around the world and in South East Asia, Malaysia has emerged as one of the biggest hubs for this expansion.
Click here to subscribe to our channel 👉🏽 bbc.in/3VyyriM
But this rapid growth is also prompting a backlash. Data centres can consume enormous amounts of electricity and water, while critics question how many long-term jobs they actually create for local communities.
In Malaysia, residents are protesting against proposed developments, while governments are trying to balance economic growth with environmental and social concerns.
In this episode, host Mariko Oi speaks to freelance journalist Isaac Chong and AI strategist Bernard Leong about what data centres actually do, why AI is driving a global construction boom, and why Malaysia has become one of South East Asia’s largest data centre hubs.
00:00 Introduction
01:30 What exactly are data centres used for?
02:56 What do data centres look like from the outside?
03:31 How did Malaysia become South East Asia’s data centre hub?
04:07 Why did Singapore impose a moratorium on data centres?
05:48 What does “computing” actually mean?
06:49 How have data centres benefited Malaysia’s economy?
07:34 Why are Malaysians concerned about so many data centres being built?
09:02 Will the data centre boom create jobs in the region?
12:13 What environmental concerns are being raised by the data centre boom?
15:49 How are other South East Asian countries addressing these concerns and which countries have the strongest regulations?
17:29 Can Malaysia continue building data centres under stricter regulations?
18:01 What’s happening with data centres in China?
Watch more episodes of Asia Specific here 👉🏽 youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz_B0PFGIn4c3njIxB0KHuO8SS2mBMtUc
Instagram: @bbcworldservice
Email: asiaspecific@bbc.co.uk
Presenter: Mariko Oi
Producers: Derek Cai, Rachel Lee, Cordelia Lee
Camera: Muhammad Firdaus Bin Mohd Ansary, Fahmi Jamal, Khairul Danish Bin Mohd Roslee
Editor: Bill Birtles
----------------
This is the official BBC World Service YouTube channel.
If you like what we do, you can also find us here:
Instagram 👉🏽 instagram.com/bbcworldservice
Twitter 👉🏽 twitter.com/bbcworldservice
Facebook 👉🏽 facebook.com/bbcworldservice
BBC World Service website 👉🏽 bbc.co.uk/worldserviceradio
Thanks for watching and subscribing!
#BBCWorldService #WorldService #ai #data #malaysia #southeastasia
