{
  "id": 16979463,
  "title": "Data centres must secure water, power supply before approval [WATCH]",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/29/data-centres-must-secure-water-power-supply-before-approval-watch",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-29T00:04:42.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/business/economy/2026/10/1565871/data-centres-must-secure-water-power-supply-approval-watch"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani, the Investment, Trade and Industry Minister, stated that data centre investments in Malaysia must be backed by adequate water and electricity supplies before receiving approval from the federal government. Johari emphasized that the government would work to ensure sufficient water supplies for data centres, without compromising the needs of other industries. He encouraged investors to adopt water recycling technology for water supply. The approval process involves the Malaysian Investment Development Authority, the Data Centre Task Force, state governments, and water supply authorities. Johari also announced that the government had approved 117 data centres nationwide, with 55 operational, 19 under construction, and 16 approved but not yet developed. Additionally, Johari supported the proposal to position the Lahad Datu Palm Oil Industrial Cluster in Sabah as a key industrial and investment hub under the BIMP-EAGA initiative.",
  "summary": "KUALA LUMPUR: Data centre investments must have adequate water and electricity supplies before they can receive federal government approval, said Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani.",
  "key_points": [
    "Data centre investments need secure water and power supply approval",
    "Johari Abdul Ghani emphasizes government's role in water supply",
    "117 data centres approved nationwide"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Mandating resource security before project approval forces data centre investors to prioritize sustainable infrastructure to avoid competing with other industries for Malaysia's essential water and electricity supplies.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}