30/04/2026
Selaras dengan pendapat saya, projek pengkalan data di Serendah perlu libatkan penduduk setempat, kerana pemusnahan alam yang dijangka berleluasa.
๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ก๐ข๐ง ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐ง๐ฆ
Media statement | 29 April 2026
The announcement of the building of a RM1.75 billion hyperscale data centre in Bandar Serendah should be met with serious scrutiny.
What is being framed as technological progress reflects a model of development that places Malaysiaโs land, water, and energy in service of global technology corporations.
๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐
The first issue is democracy. Decisions that reshape land use and affect essential resources appear to be made without transparent public consultation.
Was the Hulu Selangor Municipal Council meaningfully involved or simply expected to approve a predetermined project? Serendah is a living landscape with ecological value and the communitiesโ voices must be heard.
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Water raises an even more urgent concern. Data centres require vast amounts of water for cooling.
As cities expand and water demand rises across Selangor, can the state sustain the massive additional consumption required by data centres without placing pressure on public supply?
Will water for communities be sacrificed for technology investors? During periods of drought, the tension between basic human needs and corporate operations will not be theoretical. It will be immediate and real.
The expansion of data centres also reflects Malaysiaโs position in the global economy. International companies are drawn here by relatively cheap land, available water, and subsidised energy.
The environmental and resource costs are borne locally while the primary gains flow outward. This is a new form of resource extraction in the digital age.
From an economic standpoint, the benefits to local communities are limited. Construction may generate short term employment, but data centre operations are highly automated and require minimal labour.
At the same time, the land and resources committed to such projects could support sectors that directly benefit communities such as local agriculture and sustainable tourism.
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Energy is another critical issue. Data centres consume enormous amounts of electricity. If preferential tariffs and incentives are provided, the public has a right to know whether they are indirectly subsidising these operations.
Serendah must not be reduced to a low cost base for the global digital economy. Development decisions must prioritise people, environmental sustainability and economic justice.
๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ก๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ต๐ฎ ๐๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐น๐ฎ๐ป
PSM Central Committee Member
